Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 238 Gambling

Zhongshan.

Tens of thousands of soldiers gathered, banners covered the sky, and warhorses stretched as far as the eye could see like a tide.

These troops were not comparable to the rabble on the west and north banks of the Si River; they were the elite troops who had followed Murong Chui in his campaigns, and the cream of the crop of the Yan state.

Having conquered two states in succession, the Yan army was at its zenith, its military might unmatched in a decade.

"With such a mighty army, what is Tuoba brat worth mentioning!" Crown Prince Murong Bao, clad in golden armor, declared.

He is forty-one years old this year, but the years have not left many marks on his face. He is handsome and imposing. In terms of appearance and demeanor, he has inherited almost all of Murong Chui's advantages.

Murong Chui, who was lying on the tiger-skin couch, glanced at him sideways, as if he wanted to say something, but what came out was a cough.

In the eyes of the Yan rulers and ministers, this battle was a sure win no matter how it was fought.

Therefore, a sense of invincibility permeated the entire atmosphere from top to bottom.

At this moment, a discordant voice appeared: "Your Majesty, I believe we should not send troops. Wei and Yan have a long-standing marriage alliance. Wei is facing internal strife, while Yan is providing for it. Wei has shown great kindness, and the alliance has been long established. In the past, Your Majesty sought their horses but could not obtain them, and detained their brother. This transgression was our fault. Why should we send troops to attack them? If the cause is not right, the words will not be proper. Tuoba Shegui is brave and resourceful, has experienced hardship in his youth, and his troops are well-trained and strong. He should not be underestimated. The Crown Prince is young and ambitious, and if we entrust him with full responsibility now, he will surely become complacent. If things go wrong, it will be too late to regret it!"

Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, Gao Hu, stepped forward and urgently remonstrated.

This person also came from the Bohai Gao clan and was known for his loyalty and integrity.

When Tuoba Gui destroyed the Xiongnu Tiefu tribe and plundered millions of cattle, sheep and horses, his strength greatly increased. He then developed the ambition to conquer the Central Plains and sent his cousin Tuoba Yi to Zhongshan to investigate the situation.

Murong Bao and Murong Lin's intentions were seen through by Murong Chui, who reprimanded them. Murong Bao and Murong Lin then demanded cattle and horses from the State of Wei, but Wei refused. Murong Bao then forcibly detained Tuoba Gu, an envoy of the Wei royal family, and the two countries severed diplomatic relations as a result.

Gao Hu's advice was correct. At this time, the Yan state had been at war for years, its troops were exhausted, its people were impoverished, and it was outwardly strong but inwardly weak. It urgently needed to recuperate and rebuild.

But the mistake was bringing up the detention of Tuoba Gu, which offended too many people.

"You're trying to demoralize the army before it even sets out on its campaign; what are your intentions?"

Murong Bao felt a little embarrassed in front of so many people.

"This is my heartfelt advice. Your Majesty has been waging war for years, and the treasury is empty. You can't even scrape together winter clothes. How can you fight?" Gao Hu said defiantly, his neck stiff.

"What a joke! It's May now. My 100,000 elite troops are out in full force, like hot water poured on snow. Tuoba brat will crumble at the slightest touch. Why would he need winter clothes?" Murong Bao, having won so many battles following Murong Chui, was extremely arrogant.

"Military campaigns are no child's play. If we fail to win before the cold weather arrives, what will the Crown Prince do?"

"You—" Murong Bao's heroic spirit was instantly extinguished, and anger rose from his heart.

Previously, the destruction of Zhai Wei and Xi Yan involved long periods of stalemate, after which Murong Chui suddenly struck with lightning speed, swiftly annihilating his opponents.

This time, however, it was only after Murong Bao and Murong Lin repeatedly urged him that Murong Chui finally nodded in agreement.

The country's military equipment and supplies were not fully prepared.

"War is a matter of great importance to the state and cannot be ignored. With 100,000 troops on the expedition, the daily consumption of food and fodder will amount to millions. Moreover, our army has made a long march. If we fail, Your Majesty's decades of prestige will be ruined in an instant. I urge Your Majesty to consider this carefully!"

"How dare you!" Murong Chui lost face. "Since I raised my army, I have been invincible in every battle and have never been defeated. My soldiers are all elite warriors who have fought countless battles. Do you think I can't do anything to that brat Tuoba?"

Decades of prestige erupted in a single day, captivating all who beheld it.

The surrounding soldiers and generals all knelt on the ground, not daring to look at Murong Chui even once.

"I have not uttered a single falsehood; all my words are for Your Majesty's sake." Gao Hu's face trembled, but he still stood straight, facing Murong Chui's imposing presence.

"Why not kill this traitor and use him as a sacrifice for the flag!" Murong Lin said sinisterly from the side.

Murong Chui's face surged with murderous intent, but in the end he did not give the order. Instead, he waved his hand and said, "You want to be like Tian Feng? Unfortunately, I am not Yuan Shao. Resign from your post and go back to your hometown to retire."

"Your Majesty..." Gao Hu was prepared to remonstrate with his life, but was held down by armored soldiers and dragged away.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider! Tuoba Gui is far superior to Zhai Liao and Murong Yong—"

The sound grew longer and longer, and a moment of hesitation appeared on Murong Chui's face.

Although he was old, he was aware of the current situation in the Yan Kingdom. However, as the emperor, he had no choice. Since the rise of the Yan Kingdom, he had fought all the major battles, so this battle should be fought by Crown Prince Murong Bao.

Without military merits, even if he succeeds to the throne in the future, he will definitely not be able to control others.

Murong Nong, Murong Lin, Murong Long, Murong De, and others were all highly decorated military figures with great prestige.

In comparison, Murong Bao, as the crown prince, paled in comparison.

Murong Chui wanted to take advantage of his life to protect his son.

Even if Murong Bao's campaign is unfavorable, he can simply retreat. With Murong Chui backing him up, the Yan state will not suffer too much loss.

While it was impossible for the State of Yan to destroy the State of Wei in one battle, the State of Wei should not even dream of destroying the State of Yan in one battle either.

It was precisely because of this thought that Murong Chui took a gamble and risked everything!
Because he knew that the internal crisis of Yan was more serious than the threat posed by Tuoba Gui, and the time of power transfer was also the most dangerous time.

"How could a mere scholar understand the grand scheme of things? We are strong and our enemy is weak, so we should strike while the iron is hot and destroy their stronghold." Murong Lin scoffed.

Murong Chui sighed, looking at the group of nearly a hundred people around him, including his younger brothers, cousins, sons, and grandsons, but none of them were capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

The only one capable of this task is his younger brother, Murong De, but he is arrogant by nature and his ambition has grown bigger and bigger in recent years.

Murong Chui's son, Murong Lin, was no pushover either, and he strongly encouraged the military campaign with ulterior motives. Murong Chui saw through it all, but he shared the same flaw as Fu Jian: he was too lenient.

Being young is not a flaw; on the contrary, it can be an advantage, attracting many heroes to join you, just like Fu Jian did.

But as people get older, tolerance can become a weakness.

Especially as a monarch.

As people grow old, their hearts soften, and they become less willing to do it. So he changed his approach, wanting to enhance Murong Bao's prestige and use military achievements to suppress the arrogant and fierce generals in the royal family.

In Murong Chui's eyes, Tuoba Gui was just a bit difficult to fight, not a formidable enemy, and the strength of the two countries was obvious.

The Yan state had a population of over two million, while the Wei state, despite annexing surrounding powers and unifying southern Gobi, had a population of less than 500,000.

The State of Yan can be defeated once, twice, or three times, but the State of Wei only needs to be defeated once to face the danger of annihilation!

With the help of his guards, Murong Chui stood up. "Ku Gou is kind and gentle. Only if he succeeds to the throne can you brothers be protected. You must remember that only when brothers are united can we be invincible. Do not follow the example of Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, who fought amongst themselves and gave outsiders an opportunity!"

"Your Majesty, we will remember this!"

Everyone was friendly and respectful to their brothers, and kind to their fathers and filial to their sons.

The atmosphere warmed up again. Murong Chui coughed a few times, then waved his hand and pointed northwest: "Send troops—"

Lu County.

"What? Murong Long led 10,000 infantry and cavalry north?" Liu Daogui was stunned.

In less than a month and a half, the situation took a dramatic turn for the better.

The 10,000 infantry and cavalry that Murong Long took with him were undoubtedly elite troops who had fought in the north and south. Although he left behind Murong Zhou and Ping Youzhu's troops, these men were clearly no match for Murong Long.

If it weren't for his scorched-earth policy, Liu Daogui wouldn't have had to stand still until now.

The scout bowed and said, "We followed closely behind and chased them all the way to Puyang, confirming it without a doubt!"

Wang Yuande said, "It seems that the Yan army is going to abandon the two prefectures of Gaoping and Rencheng."

In those days, the Central Plains were full of ruins and abandoned land. The only valuable thing was people. Yan was focused on attacking Wei, so it naturally couldn't afford to pay attention to these buffer zones to the south.

This is undoubtedly a strategic opportunity for Liu Daogui.

Liu Zun was overjoyed. "Then what are we waiting for? If they don't want it, it's a perfect deal for us!"

"What's the rush? Haste makes waste. Gaoping and Rencheng are already within our grasp, are we afraid they'll fly away? Keep cooking!"

To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest form of military strategy.

Although the Yan army on the other side still had a strong military force, it had already exposed various weaknesses.

It's better to hold out, and Murong Long hasn't gone far yet. If he suddenly comes back, things will be bad.

After Murong Long retreated, tribes fled back to the north every day, and the fortifications set up on the opposite bank gradually became empty.

Meanwhile, the beans, vegetables, and millet planted on the east bank have all ripened, and the young and strong are happily harvesting them.

June has arrived in the blink of an eye, and the sun is blazing high in the sky.

The situation on the other side is even less optimistic. The patrolling cavalrymen are weak and their horses are exhausted. They are also listless and have lost all of their arrogance from a few months ago.

Wang Yan then sent someone to discuss the matter of surrendering.

He seemed extremely sincere, even having drawn up the groundwork. He only wanted the two counties of Shanyang and Dongping south of Dayeze to recuperate his troops, and then work together with Liu Daogui to resist powerful enemies.

He also brought various important news from the Yan Kingdom: Murong Shao's troops had secretly led 8,000 infantry and cavalry back to Zhongshan five days ago to participate in the war against Wei.

Meanwhile, the Yan state had already dispatched troops. Murong Bao, Murong Nong, and Murong Lin led an army of 80,000 to attack Wei, heading straight for Wuyuan, a major grain-producing area in Wei. Murong De led 18,000 infantry and cavalry to garrison Jinyang to contain the Yan army in the north, while Murong Long led 10,000 infantry and cavalry to guard Zhongshan.

Wang Yuande said, "It seems that this person's surrender is genuine, otherwise he wouldn't have revealed such important news."

Liu Daogui could naturally find out this news through merchants and spies, but it would take at least a month.

Message delivery also has a time limit.

Most importantly, Murong Shao's eight thousand infantry and cavalry also left, and the entire Sishui River basin opened its arms to Liu Daogui.

"Can the scouts find out anything about Yuancheng?" Liu Daogui had a feeling that things weren't that simple.

Having spent the last few years navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, I've developed some intuition.

A piece of fat meat won't just fall from the sky and hit you for nothing.

There are many doubts here.

Tan Daoji said, "We can't find out anything. The Suolu have deployed a large number of scouts and cavalry north of the Sishui River, so our people can't get through. Generals Mao and Wang are being blocked by Mu Yuteng in the Xiaqiu area, so they can't get through either."

Liu Daogui closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. It was reasonable for Murong Shao to send scouts to seal off the surrounding area in order to prevent the news from leaking out.

After much thought, I decided to stick to the old method: "Have Wang Yan come and talk to me in person! I'm not a gambler, I don't gamble!"

(End of this chapter)