Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 241 Rain

The armored cavalry and armored soldiers were defeated, and the rest of the Yan army basically collapsed.

Mao Dezhu and Wang Zhongde's cavalry headed straight back towards Murong Shao's banner.

However, there were too many routed soldiers to kill them all, which slowed down the cavalry. Murong Shao's troops were all cavalry, and when they saw that the situation was not good, they turned around and ran away. Many of them were riding two horses, and they could not be caught up.

"Forget the cavalry, capture the infantry!" Liu Daogui roared.

In this situation, capturing cavalry was not realistic, but these charging Yan infantrymen were all resources in Liu Daogui's eyes.

In times of chaos, the most important thing is not land, nor money or food, but population.

With a large population, even a slave can rise to become an emperor.

The messenger rushed off and caught up with Mao Dezhu and Wang Zhongde.

The two cavalry units spread out like a net to the north, trapping the retreating infantry.

The fighting was still raging to the south. With the help of warships, the nine hundred Wuxing youths actually defeated Murong Zhou's more than a thousand armored soldiers. These young men from the south were also fierce tigers and wolves on the battlefield.

Agile and fierce, leaping and rolling, they slaughtered the Yan soldiers, leaving countless heads rolling.

The other Yan soldiers who were trying to escape knelt down and begged for mercy when they saw how crazy this group was.

"Everyone out! Capture them alive if you can!"

No matter how loudly Liu Daogui shouted, it was useless. The battlefield was in such chaos, with Yan troops running rampant everywhere.

The Hu people weren't very good at fighting, but they were incredibly fast at escaping; some of the yellow-haired Hu people were even faster than cavalrymen...

In the North, escaping is an essential skill for survival.

The Jie Zhao, Ran Wei, Former Yan, Di Qin, and Murong Chui took turns on the stage, while the Hu people below also surrendered one after another.

"Damn it, do these barbarians have three legs? How can they run so fast?" Liu Zun was about to catch up with a barbarian general when the man suddenly threw down his spear, pushed off with his feet, and darted away like a rabbit.

As he fled, he peeled off his armor with practiced ease.

Liu Zun, however, was clad in heavy armor and carrying a large axe, making it impossible for him to catch up.

The main problem is that Liu Daogui's forces are too small to swallow up so many people.

"Fine, let's catch as many as we can." Liu Daogui plopped down on a horse carcass.

The ground was littered with weapons and armor, enough to feed them all. The Hu people had also brought cattle and sheep with them, which, though not many, were still a considerable haul.

There were at least three or four thousand surrendered Hu people, all of whom were able-bodied young men.

The southwest region yielded even greater gains. Liu Zhong used his warships to block the Yan army's rear and captured a 300-man cavalry unit.

With a loud "boom," a thunderclap echoed in the sky.

Large raindrops began to fall at that moment.

Tan Daoji was overjoyed: "With this heavy rain, the barbarians won't be able to escape far. The fate of the military advisor Tu Shui is indeed blessed by Heaven!"

Liu Daogui looked up at the sky, wondering if there was truly divine protection in the darkness.

In the blink of an eye, a torrential downpour began, obscuring the sky and the earth.

The temperature dropped sharply, and I couldn't help but shiver, but I was secretly delighted.

With this heavy rain, Dayeze will surely flood. This lake was originally a flood zone left by Yu the Great when he controlled the floods. Two years ago, Liu Daogui defeated Murong Zhou here and is very familiar with the terrain and water of that area.

The cavalry simply couldn't get through.

Moreover, it's easy to get lost in the rain. These days, the wilderness is more dangerous than a battlefield; even a minor injury or illness can be fatal.

"The entire army should rest and reorganize first. Clean up the battlefield first. There's no need to rush!"

Liu Daogui wiped the rain off his face, feeling more relaxed than ever before.

When the time is right, everything in the world lends a hand; luck is also indispensable for someone who wants to rise to prominence.

"We surrender! We are willing to submit to Military Advisor Liu, and we only ask to live!"

A group of Yan soldiers and cavalry returned, and the leader of a dozen or so men was brought before Liu Daogui by Mao Dezhu.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "Isn't it too late to surrender now?"

“You may not know this, but we are originally from Jin. We were detained in the north and had no choice but to surrender to the barbarians.”

"Pah—" Liu Zun spat in his face.

The person didn't dare to wipe it.

Liu Daogui stopped Liu Zun, who was acting like a mad dog. It was obvious that this group of people had turned back to surrender because they saw that the rain was too heavy and they couldn't leave. However, it was rare that they reacted so quickly.

"The death penalty may be spared, but the punishment will not be spared; all of them will be reduced to slavery."

Upon hearing Liu Daogui's words, the men relaxed and cupped their hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Military Advisor!"

I reckon their lives aren't too easy up north either.

In Murong Chui's Yan state, apart from the Xianbei nobles and powerful chieftains, everyone else was practically a slave.

These days, if you're defeated in a war, you're lucky if you can even survive.

The dark clouds had been gathering in the sky for several days, and the heavy rain lasted for more than an hour.

After the rain stopped, the mist did not dissipate.

Many Yan soldiers returned and surrendered, most of whom were from Jin.

“Isn’t this… General Anyuan of the Suolu?” Liu Daogui asked, munching on his dry rations.

Two elite guards forced Wang Yan to kneel on the ground.

Like his brother, he was a mixed-race person with deep eyebrows and a high nose, possessing both the features of a non-Han Chinese and the appearance of a person from the Central Plains.

After struggling for a moment, he suddenly smiled obsequiously: "How dare I, how dare I? To be honest, I have long since given up the position of General Anyuan of the Suolu. It was all a misunderstanding before. I have long admired you, Military Advisor, and know that you have the ambition to restore the Central Plains. I have some reputation in Hebei and am willing to lend you a hand. From now on, I will serve you like a slave!" Liu Daogui was stunned for a moment. He thought he would be a tough guy, but he didn't expect him to be so soft-hearted. "No, I still prefer the unruly look you had on the battlefield just now."

"Just now was just now, and now is now. Everyone is doing their duty and serving their master. If you want to conquer the Central Plains, you will need my assistance."

"No need, push him down and execute him." Liu Daogui waved his hand, too lazy to waste any more words with him.

He was given a chance before, but he put himself in a deadly situation.

If we spare his life, he will surely become a future calamity.

The Hu people are fickle and unpredictable; there are far too many lessons to be learned from this. Once they have the resources and strength to rebel again, they will surely retaliate tenfold or a hundredfold.

"Join the army... listen to me..." Wang Yan was still struggling.

A flash of cold light appeared in the hand of the tiger-like warrior beside him, and he plunged a knife into the man's mouth, abruptly silencing his scream.

Then he was dragged away like a dead dog.

The soldiers rested in the camp, while the able-bodied men and slaves cleaned up the battlefield, leaving no corpse untouched and stripping them naked.

It was as if locusts were swarming through the land.

In the middle of the night, the heavy rain started again, pattering softly, waking Liu Daogui. Suddenly, a cheer came from ahead: "The city has fallen!"

Then several scouts rushed over, reporting to the military advisor: "Commander Liu has launched a surprise attack on Xiaqiu and killed Mu Yuteng!"

"Great!"

Liu Zhong and the young men of Wuxing were full of vigor.

The soldiers in the camp had all been awakened and came one after another to ask for battle.

Tan Daoji said, "The enemy fought fiercely for a day and fled overnight. They encountered heavy rain and will certainly not go far."

“Go ahead!” Liu Daogui nodded in agreement.

Cheers erupted in the camp, and before the heavy rain had even stopped, everyone rushed out to pursue the fleeing enemy.

Liu Daogui remained in the camp, awaiting news.

Once Renqiu was captured, a crucial point on the upper reaches of the Sishui River was controlled. From there, the navy could sail downstream, and Rencheng and Gaoping were simply no match for it.

Of course, if Murong Zhou puts up a stubborn resistance, it will take some more time.

But the overall situation cannot be changed.

The main forces of the Yan state were all engaged in dealing with Tuoba Gui in the north, leaving them no time to attend to the few small counties in the south.

The Yan state never had its sights set on this.

I slept for two hours in a daze. When I woke up, the sun was high in the sky, and it was another sunny day. Fortunately, the two heavy rains yesterday made it less hot.

As dusk fell, the various armies gradually returned.

The people escorting the large and small groups of horses, supplies, cattle, and sheep looked like farmers celebrating a bountiful harvest, all beaming with joy.

The camp was overcrowded with men and horses, and the navy sent them to Pingyang City by boat.

From the third day onwards, warhorses were continuously being returned.

Mao Dezhu and Wang Zhongde have pursued Murong Shao all the way to Dongping County and captured countless prisoners, but they still have not been able to capture him.

By the fifth day, most of the prisoners who needed to be captured had been brought back; the others either perished in the wilderness or hid in some mountain ravine.

According to Gao Xun's preliminary count, he captured more than 8,000 people, obtained 2,300 warhorses, 132 sets of horse armor, and 597 sets of iron armor. The number of cattle, sheep, camels, and horses was slightly less, only more than 5,000.

The Yan army was already short of food, and the males had long been eaten, leaving only the females to breed.

They were all emaciated and had little meat on them, so Liu Daogui ordered them to be sent back to the pastures in Niqiu Mountain to be raised.

Xiaqiu City was almost a ghost town, with less than two thousand shi of grain, and most of its inhabitants were old women and children.

However, once this place is captured, Liu Daogui's territory will be pushed more than a hundred miles to the northwest. He can use the Zhu River and Si River to resist the Yan army and form a pincer movement with Lu City.

Lu County and Lanling became major rear areas, and there was no longer any concern about the Yan army raiding southwards.

There are large tracts of fertile land around Xiaqiu, estimated to be at least 5,000 hectares.

Liu Daogui's living space was greatly expanded, and Rencheng and Gaoping to the south seemed less important.

The main problem is that the area is too large, and there isn't enough population, so even if we take it over, it will be difficult to maintain our hold for long.

Whether there are dates or not, let's play a couple of rounds first.

After resting for two days, Liu Daogui led his army down the Si River and headed straight for Xiaqiu.

In this great battle, Pingyou's troops suffered the fewest casualties. Upon realizing the situation was unfavorable, they were the first to withdraw from the battlefield from the northwest and return to Rencheng.

Although it is called a prefecture, it actually only consists of two counties: Rencheng and Kangfu. During the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Cao Wei period, it was the Rencheng Kingdom. During the Yongjia period, the Rencheng Kingdom was abolished and it became the Rencheng Prefecture.

Because it is small, it is easier to defend and can concentrate resources and troops.

In the northern lands, a single fortified village could often withstand an attack by more than ten thousand barbarian tribes, and this is the reason why.

The key issue is that we currently lack siege equipment.

It's not worth it to rely on human lives to build this up.

Pingyou was no pushover either. He was a leader of refugees and was best at defense. He had long ago adopted a scorched-earth policy, abandoning Kangfu County and concentrating his forces in Rencheng. Like Gaoping to the south, he built a large number of fortifications there.

Tan Daoji suggested, "Why don't we persuade this man to surrender?"

Two years ago, when he fought a fierce battle with Murong Long at Sishui, Tan Daoji had not yet arrived and was unaware that Liu Heibi and a group of his confidants had died at his hands.

"This man is my mortal enemy; he will never surrender to me!"

“It can be used to build siege weapons.” Gao Xun leaned closer.

(End of this chapter)