Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 236 Aid

The Yan army deployed 70,000 to 80,000 troops along the Sishui River, mostly cavalry.

The logistical pressure is immense. It's springtime, but there's no sign of farming. They're relying entirely on grain transported from various places in Yanzhou, and it's uncertain how long that will last.

Liu Daogui immediately ordered the establishment of military farms, planting short-cycle crops such as beans, water shield, and millet on the east bank, adopting a posture of long-term confrontation.

He also sent Cao Ji to Langya, Xiapi, Guangling and other places to buy grain.

The Huainan region has been a granary since ancient times. Even though the imperial court doesn't manage it much, it is still much better than the war-torn northern country.

Moreover, the land and population were controlled by powerful clans and gentry, who never stopped cultivating the land and held large amounts of grain.

Cao Ji was considered a local strongman in Lanling, and in the past two years he had been making great strides, gaining some fame on both sides of the Huai River. The gentry might look down on him, but the powerful clans would certainly give him some face.

There's also Langya Commandery, which has long since recovered under Liu Muzhi's governance in the past two years and has become the granary of Huaibei.

Therefore, in the short term, Liu Daogui has no need to worry about food.

As long as they can hold out until the enemy's supplies run out, it will be time to launch a counterattack. At that point, Liu Daogui will want more than just Gaoping County...

The two sides of the Taiwan Strait are just dragging things out day by day.

Since a fight couldn't break out anytime soon, Liu Daogui simply inspected the surrounding spring planting area.

Flags and banners were planted in the fields, and men, women, and children worked together to busy themselves in the fields.

Compared to the previous two years when everything relied on manual labor, this year we have oxen, mule carts, and all the farm tools are newly made by the ironworks, which has greatly improved efficiency.

The heavy and strenuous work was done by the young and strong, while the old and weak were responsible for sowing, fertilizing, repairing canals, and diverting water.

Eight buildings enable everyone to work together and cultivate the land in a planned manner.

Especially those platoon leaders, squad leaders, and corporals, who were originally low-ranking officers who had been wounded and retired, were shrewd, capable, and skilled in command.

The paddy fields east of the Sishui River were soon covered with green seedlings.

The paddy fields and ridges are connected, advancing one another like troops in formation. The narrow path in the middle is only wide enough for one vehicle to pass at a time, winding and turning, connecting with the mulberry groves on the dry land, and the mulberry groves in turn connect with the ponds.

If you don't know the path, it's very difficult to get out once you're inside.

It has a certain restraining effect on the enemy. Once the cavalry's hooves get stuck in the paddy field, it is difficult to pull them out, and their speed advantage is lost, making them easy targets for the infantry.

"Who did this?" Liu Daogui exclaimed in astonishment.

A village headman quickly responded, "County Commandant Liu!"

Liu Guangzhi, Mao Dezhu, Wang Yuande, Wang Zhongde, and Liu Zhong still held the rank of a low-ranking official.

Liu Daogui was overjoyed. Liu Zhong had grown rapidly in the past few years and was already capable of handling things independently, especially in governance.

He and Wang Yuande were the ones who handled the general affairs of Lanling and Lu County.

With these fields, Liu Daogui felt confident that his side was now in an invincible position.

Barring any mistakes, the outcome of this battle should be a foregone conclusion.

With Wang Yuande and Tan Daoji at Siqiao, Murong Long has been in a state of retreat and is unlikely to encounter any problems in the short term. Liu Daogui then ordered the slaves and able-bodied men to return to Pingyang City to await orders.

Since a breakthrough cannot be achieved on the main battlefield, then we must rely on internal strength, supplies, and the ability and efficiency of internal mobilization.

This rhythm actually suits Liu Daogui better.

Even though the Yan army is not as strong as before, it will not be easy to deal with in a head-on battle, and the casualties will inevitably be considerable.

It wasn't easy for Liu Daogui to accumulate these assets.

The enemies on the road to the Northern Expedition are not only Murong Long and Murong Shao on the other side, but also open and covert attacks from behind. In the past eighty years since the southward migration, no one who has participated in the Northern Expedition has had a good ending. We must make long-term plans.

In the current situation, preserving strength is the priority, and then winning at the lowest possible cost...

Upon returning to Pingyang City, Xu Changming arrived with his men to report, "Military Advisor, Senior Lieutenant Gao has returned!"

"Oh? Where are you now?"

Gao Xun was sent to Wuxing to recruit naval forces at the end of last year, and it has been almost five months now.

"We have arrived at Chengcheng!"

"He's arrived just in time, let's go see him!" Liu Daogui never hesitated.

They rushed to Chengcheng, where Gao Xun led over nine hundred men out of the city to greet them.

They were all young and strong, around twenty years old, full of energy and vigor.

Liu Daogui also recognized several familiar faces; they were the warriors who had piloted the fire rafts to charge at the demon bandits' ships. "You've come at the perfect time; you can help me defeat the bandits!"

"Our lives were saved by the soldiers; we would go through fire and water without hesitation!" The twenty-five or twenty-six-year-old man was filled with excitement.

The others chimed in, "The land that the soldier cultivated in Wuxing has fed countless people of Wuxing. We have come here to lend a helping hand on the orders of our hometown elders!"

"You all have been very kind!" Liu Daogui felt a warmth in his heart.

I only did what I was supposed to do, and these people generously helped me, even at the cost of their lives.

Compared to the treachery and deceit of the aristocratic families, these people from the lower classes are the true hope of China.

The only disappointment was that the 900 men were too few, only enough to fill one large ship, far from enough to form a full-scale navy.

"Please forgive me, Dao Ze. These 930 Wu youths were handpicked by me. They have all fought in battle, killed demons and bandits, and are capable of anything, whether climbing mountains or swimming in the water. Moreover, they have all received your kindness, and none of them were forced." Gao Xun's face was distorted with thinness, but he was also more energetic. "Brother Gao, you have worked hard. With the help of the navy, we will surely win this battle!" The slight disappointment in Liu Daogui's heart disappeared. In this day and age, loyalty is more important than anything else.

These young men from Wuxing were practically his own retainers.

"I am willing to fight to the death for my military service!"

The people looked at Liu Daogui with reverence.

The sons of Jiangdong once dominated the world under the rule of Sun Wu, Xiang Yu, Sun Jian, and Sun Ce.

At the beginning of the southward migration, Zhou Qi of Wuxing led the people of Wuxing to pacify Jiangnan three times, stabilizing the Sima family's rule.

Thirty years ago, Shen Jin led five hundred Wu Xing soldiers to defend Luoyang. They repeatedly defeated Murong Ke's attacks with fewer troops, and held out for two years without food or reinforcements!

The quality of an army is more important than its quantity. With these nine hundred Wuxing soldiers, we can control the Sishui River.

The Si River runs through the two provinces of Yan and Xu, and together with other waterways, the navy has a great deal of room to maneuver, which can greatly offset the advantage of the Yan cavalry.

Another advantage is that the Yan army is unaware of the arrival of these nine hundred naval troops!

It's like a sharp sword hidden in its sheath, capable of playing an unexpected role at crucial moments.

The only drawback is that the Sishui, Huangongdu, and Yingshui canals have not been dredged for many years, and many places are blocked by silt, making the waterways narrower and shallower, and making it impossible for multi-story boats to pass.

However, smaller cargo ships, mid-wing and small-wing warships can pass through without hindrance.

Liu Daogui immediately sent someone to contact Li Damu, asking him to lead his naval forces to Xiapi to assemble.

Xiapi is located in the lower reaches of the Si River. Going upstream, it connects directly to the counties of Gaoping, Rencheng, and Shanyang.

Liu Daogui immediately promoted Liu Zhong to naval commander and sent him with the men of Wuxing to familiarize themselves with the ships.

The military situation was urgent, and there was no time to train them. Liu Daogui's consistent principle was to use war to sustain war and to train soldiers through war. The bandits had ravaged the three Wu and eight counties, and the sons of Wuxing had long been tempered by the fires of war.

In this day and age, none of those who survive are cowards.

After everyone dispersed and the important matters were settled, Gao Xun approached Liu Daogui: "There's one more thing."

"What's the matter?"

"The southern bandits have returned with renewed force, launching successive attacks on places such as Juzhang, Haiyan, Hudu, and Jiakou. Yuan Song, the prefect of Wu Commandery, fought bravely but died in battle."

"Prefect Yuan has been killed in battle?" Liu Daogui lamented.

Back when he was fighting against the bandits on the Qiantang River, Yuan Song actively prepared provisions, ensuring that the Northern Army had no worries about supplies. He was a kind and honest elder, but unexpectedly, he met a tragic end.

It now seems that, apart from the two brothers who suffered losses at his hands, the demon thief is basically invincible.

“If Prefect Yuan is killed in battle, doesn’t that mean Wu Commandery is going to fall?” Liu Daogui quickly realized the seriousness of the situation.

With the fall of Kuaiji, the rebels could at most establish their own independent territory.

However, Wu Commandery connects to Jinling Commandery, and just a step eastward leads to Jingkou and Guangling...

However, Gao Xun's eyes turned strange. "Wu Commandery has not fallen. Your brother Liu Jinu first held off tens of thousands of demon bandits with only a few hundred men at Juzhang, and then repeatedly defeated Sun En at Haiyan."

The demon bandits are not a rabble, as can be seen from their battle record.

Liu Yu, with only a few hundred men, managed to hold off an attack by tens of thousands of demon bandits, which was almost as if divinely inspired. However, this was not too surprising. Back in Wu County, he single-handedly chased and killed more than a thousand people...

“You two brothers are now quite remarkable, one in the south and one in the north, renowned throughout Jiangzuo, and even the imperial court has begun to pay attention to you.”

"This doesn't seem like... a good thing..." Liu Daogui smiled bitterly.

Keep a low profile to make a fortune. If a poor family is targeted by the imperial court, given the character of aristocratic families, who knows how many open and covert attacks will come their way?

In the past two months, Wang Yu has sent one transfer order after another, ordering me to lead my troops back, clearly intending to deal with me.

Gao Xun said, "Then it depends on how the situation develops. If the court supports Gao Yazhi but he is not capable of being given important responsibilities, sooner or later they will support you two brothers."

Liu Daogui retorted, "Isn't the imperial court afraid of the rise of the Liu family of Pengcheng? And that Governor Liu's influence will be even greater?"

Gao Xun looked at Liu Daogui and said, "Can the court still care about these things now? Huan Xuan is preparing for war in Jingzhou and has repeatedly asked for the position of governor of Yangzhou. If the rebels cannot be quelled quickly, it will be a situation where Jiankang is attacked from both the east and the west."

Yangzhou encompasses Guangling, Jingkou, and the eight counties of the Three Wu regions.

Huan Xuan wasn't just asking for the governorship of Yangzhou; he was forcing the Sima family to relinquish their lifeline, essentially forcing them to abdicate...

He became the governor of Yangzhou, and Jingkou and Guangling were under his jurisdiction.

Previous governors of Yangzhou included Wang Dao, Wang Dun, Yu Bing, Huan Wen, Huan Chong, and Xie An, all of whom were outstanding figures of their time.

The position of Governor of Yangzhou can be considered the last step for powerful ministers. After Xie An voluntarily relinquished his power, the position of Governor of Yangzhou was concurrently held by Sima Daozi.

Although Liu Laozhi was the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army, he only had military power over the various armies of the Northern Army, but no administrative power.

Once Huan Xuan became the governor of Yangzhou, given the Huan family's status and power, Liu Laozhi would inevitably be sidelined.

In the three months since I left Guangling, the situation in the south has become increasingly worse.

The treacherous bandit and Huan Xuan are mutually supportive. Regardless of whether they have secretly formed an alliance, they are strategically cooperating with each other. It is unknown how long the Sima family can hold out.

"What the court decides to do is its business; my only concern right now is winning this battle!"

(End of this chapter)