Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 237 Retreat
With a navy, they gained control of the waters, and Gaoping, Rencheng, and Shanyang were all within the navy's attack range, sweeping away the previous situation of being passively attacked.

Half a month later, more than fifty warships of medium and small wings sailed from Xiapi into Pei County.

Liu Daogui led his troops to investigate.

In just over twenty days, these nine hundred Wuxing youths had already developed combat capabilities, maneuvering their warships swiftly across the water.

Not only was his boat handling skill first-rate, but his martial arts were also quite good. He was proficient in bows, crossbows, swords, and spears, and he carried the unique bravery of the Jiangdong youths. He dared to leap from the ship's side and dive into the water when he was two or three zhang tall.

“These people are either from the same clan or from the same village. They have fought together against the demon bandits. They don’t need to be formally registered. They can kill the enemy as soon as they go into battle!” Liu Zhong, with a short mustache, spoke and acted with increasing composure.

"From now on, this force will be under your command. You must make sure to build the navy into an elite force." Liu Daogui was very satisfied.

"Brother, rest assured, I have been studying naval warfare techniques these days."

No one is born with a natural talent for swimming. Liu Zhong was born in Jingkou and was quite good at it.

As a general, adaptability is key; swimming skills are not the most important factor. The crucial thing is to find reliable people.

The imperial navy was originally no weaker than the Western Army, and it had also shone brightly in the Battle of Fei River. Unfortunately, Sima Yuanxian appointed Sima Huizhi, a member of the imperial clan, as his general, and the entire navy was wiped out in the Battle of Xinzhou, leading to the current passive situation of the imperial court.

Unable to resist Huan Xuan, nor able to completely eradicate the demon bandits.

It can only be said that the Sima family's fate was sealed, and they perished on their own.

"I'll give you at most another month. There will be a tough battle then."

The two sides cannot remain in this stalemate for long; the situation in the south is becoming increasingly critical.

Although Liu Yu had somewhat slowed down the rebels in Haiyan, there were also capable individuals among the rebels who continued to plunder the surrounding counties, recruiting able-bodied men and expanding their forces to over 100,000.

North of Wu Commandery lies Jinling Commandery, just a stone's throw from Jingkou and Guangling.

Logically, Liu Laozhi should have made a move at this point, but for some reason he has remained holed up in Shanyin, holding back his troops.

Liu Laozhi has been coming up with all sorts of tricks these past two years; I wonder what he's thinking.

Suppressing the demon bandits is a great achievement, and no matter what he does in the future, these will be his indelible accomplishments.

His inaction allowed the bandits to become increasingly rampant, and the war spread to Jinling.

"I couldn't be happier!" Liu Zhong said confidently.

"During this period, let the brothers eat well, and make sure they eat meat every day. I have Cao Ji transport the grain and weapons from Lanling. Load all the ships with heavy crossbows and the best armor-piercing arrows, and prepare more oil, mainly to deal with the Suolu cavalry and armored soldiers."

"I think we are a little short-handed. We can recruit some people from Langya. The requirements are not too high. They just need to know how to operate a boat and shoot crossbows."

A navy needs sailors, oarsmen, and other personnel.

Nine hundred people is indeed a bit of a stretch.

"I'll send several people to Langya to recruit people," Liu Daogui accepted his suggestion.

Liu Zhong cupped his hands and said, "I think it would be best to postpone the great battle for another month and a half."

"Why?"

"It's May now. In a month and a half, it will be the height of summer. The Suo people are born in a cold and harsh land. Their people and livestock are not used to the water and soil of Huaibei, so their fighting strength will definitely drop significantly. With more time, we can be better prepared."

A man should be looked at with new eyes after three days' absence; the poor boy of yesteryear has now grown into a man with the bearing of a great general.

"Great!"

Liu Daogui was overjoyed. He had been preoccupied with too many things lately, both in the south and the north, and had overlooked many details.

They discussed it for a whole afternoon, originally planning to have a bonfire banquet with the navy, but Wang Yuande from Siqiao sent someone to report that there was a new situation on the other side.

Seeing the scout's secretive demeanor, Liu Daogui had no choice but to rush to Siqiao without stopping, even under the cover of night.

After traveling all night without even having a sip of water, he discussed military matters with Wang Yuande, Tan Daoji, and a few others.

Wang Yuande said, "Yesterday, King Yan of Suolu secretly sent someone to defect to our army and join forces to launch a surprise attack on Murong Shao and Murong Long!"

“Wang Yan?” Liu Daogui had never heard of this person before.

"This man was a Donghu person who migrated to Jizhou and was extremely prestigious. After the Battle of Feishui, Hebei was in great chaos. He gathered more than 300,000 refugees from various ethnic groups, including Xianbei, Wuhuan, Xiongnu, and Dingling, and settled in Guantao. Later, he was recruited by Murong Shao and joined the Later Yan. He helped Murong Chui pacify Hebei. However, after Murong Chui established his country and became emperor, he only appointed him as the Prefect of Weijun and General Anyuan."

When Murong Chui led his troops to conquer Ye City, he had only 30,000 to 40,000 men. He had no territory, no population, and faced numerous powerful enemies. He was unable to capture Ye City after a long siege.

Wang Yan's merit in following the emperor's rise to power deserves at least the title of Duke, if not a royal title, and the appointment of a regional governor.

The Prefect of Wei Commandery and General Anyuan are really not presentable.

However, this is in line with the Murong family's consistent style. Since the Former Yan Dynasty, power has always been concentrated in the hands of the royal family, keeping the benefits within the family.

Therefore, the Yan state has been plagued by rebellions in recent years.

Liu Zun exclaimed excitedly, "This is a good thing! If Wang Yan rebels, the higher-ups can reap the benefits and take over the entire Yanzhou!"

Liu Daogui, however, was not as optimistic as him. "It's not that simple."

Times have changed. In the past eighty years, the Hu people have become more ruthless and cunning. After Zhai Liao joined Teng Tianzhi and gained a foothold, he did not hesitate to stab Teng Tianzhi in the back, annex his troops, occupy Huatai, and sweep across most of Yanzhou.

Non-my family, its heart must be different.

In the north, people relied on their ethnicity; in the south, they relied on their clan. Liu Daogui was merely the governor of Lu Commandery. Someone of Wang Yan's stature should have surrendered to Wang Yu, the governor of Xu Province, or Biluhun, the governor of Qing Province.

Tan Daoji said, "Could it be a feigned surrender?"

“We can’t believe it just because of a single sentence. As the sage said, ‘Observe his words and his actions.’ If you want to surrender, observe his actions first before we make a decision.”

Liu Daogui was also unable to ascertain the other party's intentions.

"Report!" the scout shouted from outside the tent. "The enemy's provisions are running low, and the warehouse officer has sent a thousand tents back to Huatai."

Liu Daogui's eyes lit up. "This is truly good news! After such a long standoff, the Suo people should have been running out of food long ago."

Wang Yuande said, "In that case, it seems that Wang Yan's defection to our army is indeed true?"

"Better safe than sorry, let's wait a bit longer!"

The situation is developing in Liu Daogui's favor, so there's no need to rush at this point.

It doesn't matter whether Wang Yan rebels or not.

Tan Daoji said, "If Wang Yan truly wants to join us, he will rebel on his own! Our army only needs to act according to the circumstances."

Liu Daogui gave him an approving look. "Not bad! We must not let our guard down, especially at times like these. We need to strengthen our defenses and expand the areas where scouts and spies are stationed."

"We obey!" The generals all bowed in unison.

Kuruguansheng's retreat was just the beginning; within two days, several other tribes followed suit.

The scouts discovered that many people in these tribes lacked food and clothing and were also suffering from diseases.

Meanwhile, merchants traveling south from the north reported that the Yan state was stockpiling grain and gathering a large army and able-bodied men in preparation for a major military campaign against the Wei state, and had no surplus grain to send to the front lines at the Si River.

In the eyes of the Yan state, the Sishui counties were merely a burden; Murong Chui never paid any attention to them, nor did he ever bother to govern them.

The reason for stockpiling heavy troops was merely to bluff and intimidate the Jin dynasty.

The Yan state always aimed its spearhead northward, with the Tuoba Wei being their most pressing threat.

The Dai Commandery, the birthplace of the Wei Kingdom, was right above the Yan Kingdom.

Over the years, Tuoba Gui fought in the south and north, winning every battle and conquering every city. He annexed the Dugu, Helan, and Tiefu tribes, unified the southern Gobi Desert, and drove out the Rouran, Gaoche, and Khitan. In the battle of Luhunhai alone, he decisively defeated the Gaoche Yuanhe tribe, capturing more than 200,000 people and a million livestock!

He commanded as many as 100,000 mounted archers.

Two tigers cannot share one mountain. If Murong Chui does not attack Tuoba Gui, Tuoba Gui will surely move south within a few years.

A few years later, Tuoba Gui was in his prime, while Murong Chui was over seventy, and whether he was still alive or not was a question.

Murong Chui spent his life waging wars in the south and north, but he didn't manage his homeland well, and various problems were beginning to emerge...

Gaoping County.

More than a hundred cavalrymen, weary from their journey, came from the north and entered the city.

"His Majesty has decreed that the Prince of Gaoyang shall lead his elite troops north to join the campaign against the Tuoba brat!"

Murong Long was somewhat stunned after receiving the imperial edict.

Currently, they are still in a standoff with the Northern Army. If their elite troops were to march north, Gaoping County might be lost.

However, Murong Chui's edict could not be disobeyed, the military situation was urgent, and Murong Long also knew that Tuoba Gui in the north was the real threat.

If Murong Chui were to suddenly pass away, the Yan state would surely be thrown into chaos, and at that time there would be no chance to even send troops to fight.

The reason why the Yan state has been waging war in the south and north in recent years is not entirely because Murong Chui was militaristic, but because he wanted to resolve external threats through major wars while maintaining internal stability.

"What will happen to Sishui if you leave?" Murong Zhou's face darkened.

His name was not on the imperial edict, and his status in the Yan Kingdom plummeted after the defeat at the Battle of Ōnoze.

The entire Sishui region relies on Murong Long to manage the overall situation.

"I can only entrust this to you and Pingyou. If all else fails, retreat to Huatai and let Pingyou hold the line! Just hold the line between Dongping and Puyang. Once our army has wiped out that brat Tuoba, we will march south!"

Murong Long was distracted; at this moment, he was more concerned about the Yan court.

Just one year after the fall of Western Yan, they immediately marched north, clearly indicating that Crown Prince Murong Bao and Murong Lin were trying to establish their authority and then seize military power.

"However, this time the troops were not dispatched by His Majesty, but by the Crown Prince, the Prince of Zhao, and others..."

Without Murong Chui, Murong Zhou felt insecure.

"Aren't we still King Fanyang and me? Yanzhou is dispensable, as it is originally Jin territory. Hebei is our homeland, and we cannot afford to lose it. Now that the Qin ruler has been established and Jin is in turmoil, it is the perfect opportunity to destroy Wei. This battle is a matter of national destiny, and we should go all out to take down Wei. Once we do, the fate of the world can be decided. A few small cities along the Si River are insignificant. We can't hold them if we gain them, and we can't regret losing them!"

Murong Long had long anticipated that Gaoping could not be defended, which is why he relocated the people to Huatai.

If it weren't for the internal strife in Jiangdong these past few years, the Yan army would have retreated long ago.

The war against Wei is now far more important to the Yan state than the few counties along the Si River.

Murong Chui also went all out, sending almost all of his elite troops, except for those who could not personally lead the campaign.

(End of this chapter)