Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 244 Defeat

Rencheng.

"What, retreat?" Liu Zun's face was full of disbelief.

Liu Daogui said, "The strategy is to let them go first, and to give them what they want to take. If we keep them blocked like this, they will unite against the enemy. Once we retreat, the enemy will definitely abandon the city and run away."

The city has run out of food, and for several days in the past two weeks, people have been leaving the city at night to surrender.

This also exposed the true state of the city: not only was the food gone, but the warhorses had also been eaten, and in the past few days, they had even been robbing the corpses in the city.

Liu Daogui admired Pingyou's perseverance. Even in this situation, he could still maintain his troops' stubborn resistance. He was quite a ruthless person.

Liu Zun said, "What if they don't leave?"

"Murong Zhou from the south has fled, leaving Rencheng isolated. If he doesn't leave, is he going to starve to death here?"

Liu Daogui is now certain of victory.

For Pingyou, there was no longer any need to defend Gaoping, unless he wanted to be loyal to Murong Chui.

But these days, how many people would be so devoted?
Pingyou was born into a family of refugees and was adept at changing his allegiance to others; he would never put all his eggs in one basket.

At a command, the slaves and able-bodied men broke camp, loaded various supplies onto ships, and sent them upstream to Xiaqiu.

Xiaqiu is nestled between the Sishui and Zhushui rivers, with the Zhushui River flowing from east to west, just around the side and back of Rencheng.

If Pingyou makes a move, Liu Daogui can lead his troops downstream and cut off his retreat.

The army had barely left when, less than half a day later, scouts caught up from the west bank and reported, "Reporting to the military advisor, Pingyou's troops have withdrawn from Rencheng and are retreating northward."

"So fast?" Liu Daogui was taken aback.

The boat had just reached Siqiao, and it was still a day's journey to Xiaqiu. Pingyou's running made Liu Daogui feel stuck.

If we rush to Xiaqiu now and then turn onto the Zhushui River, it will take at least two days. If we head west from the Zhushui River, Pingyou will probably have already escaped.

It would take about a day for the soldiers to return to Rencheng and land.

In the previous Battle of Xiaqiu, among the various Yan army units that participated in the battle, only Pingyou escaped unscathed, which shows his cunning and keen insight.

The rogue leaders who made their way in the north were no ordinary people.

Liu Zun said urgently, "We can't let him escape!"

"It was my oversight. Let Mao Dezhu and Wang Zhongde's cavalry hold them off first. Send the order to return to Rencheng immediately and pursue Pingyou!" Liu Daogui laughed instead of getting angry, as if watching a rat struggling for survival.

The fleet immediately turned around.

Fortunately, they were going with the current. The sailors filled the sails, and the helmsmen paddled the oars with all their might. The fleet shot through the waves like arrows released from a bow.

As dusk fell, the army arrived at the ferry crossing, and the soldiers disembarked one after another.

Unexpectedly, a scout rushed in, reporting, "Military Advisor, Wang Zhongde's troops pursued them through the city walls, only to fall into an enemy ambush. Mao Dezhu bravely rushed to their aid, narrowly avoiding total annihilation..."

Liu Zun's eyes widened. "What? We can fall into an ambush?"

Liu Daogui was also surprised that Pingyou had a trick up his sleeve. However, anything can happen on the battlefield. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone a refugee commander.

The three brothers, Pingyou, Pingrui, and Pinggui, were either governors or generals in the Yan state, and their influence was deeply rooted in the three counties of Boling, Wuyi, and Changle.

Ping Gui even rose to the rank of General Who Conquers the East in the Yan Kingdom, commanding tens of thousands of troops and overseeing a region.

"Pride comes before a fall. We've made these battles too easy and underestimated our opponents."

This minor defeat is not a bad thing. Historically, very few people can truly win every battle. Even the powerful Murong Chui faced several close calls back then.

Throughout the entire army, including Liu Daogui, there was a certain degree of contempt for Ping You.

"Are we just going to let him get away like this? Are we just going to let Api's revenge go?" Liu Zun's face was full of resentment.

It's too late to chase after them now; Pingyou has already escaped to Chengcheng, which is only a step away from Puyang County.

Just then, several hooting sounds came from the east.

Looking around, Liu Daogui saw the warhorses, donkeys, mules, camels, and other livestock he had captured earlier drinking water by the Si River. He was overjoyed. "Heaven is truly helping me! Everyone, find a piece of livestock and follow me to hunt down Pingyou!"

The soldiers and the middle soldiers each found a piece of livestock, and used a sheepskin as a saddle.

They followed Liu Daogui northward in a grand procession.

Without a saddle and stirrups, the speed wasn't fast, but it was still better than traveling on foot.

The soldiers were not discouraged by Wang Zhongde's defeat; on the contrary, they were all in high spirits.

Like a wild beast whose ferocity has been unleashed, yearning for a battle.

Seeing their condition, Liu Daogui felt relieved. "You can take away the commander of an army, but you can't take away the will of a common man." As long as their morale wasn't affected, it was fine. A small defeat now was better than a major defeat in the future.

Two thousand seven hundred men chased after Wang Zhongde to Chengcheng overnight, where they encountered him covered in arrow wounds and looking listless. Of the three hundred-plus cavalrymen, only half remained, and all of them were wounded.

Liu Daogui felt a pang of heartache. Building this cavalry force had not been easy; even the Battle of Xiaqiu hadn't resulted in such heavy losses. Pursuing a defeated army had cost them a quarter of their forces...

"I am ashamed..." Wang Zhongde could hardly lift his head.

Liu Daogui's face darkened. "I'm not here to hear your shame. Merit must be rewarded and wrongdoing must be punished. You underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly, resulting in heavy casualties. I hereby remove you from your post as commander under my command, demote you to Marquis of Qu, give you fifty lashes, and deduct your salary for one year. Do you plead guilty?"

This punishment is already quite severe—fifty lashes. If the hand is slightly heavier, the person will be crippled even if they don't die.

However, when dealing with arrogant and fierce soldiers, one cannot simply be lenient; once defeated, one is defeated, and there is nothing more to say.

Liu Daogui has always treated people with kindness and leniency. This was understandable in the early stages of his business, but now that he has a large and successful business, he can no longer be so lenient and leniency. Rules must be established.

In those chaotic and war-torn years, Kuan-ren was courting death.

Fu Jian serves as a cautionary tale.

"I confess!" Wang Zhongde readily admitted his guilt, offering no excuses.

Since he was so agreeable, Liu Daogui was also agreeable, saying, "Considering your injury, the fifty lashes will be postponed for now. The punishment will be carried out after you recover."

"Thank you for joining the army." Wang Zhongde's face was full of gratitude.

Where is Mao Dezhu?

"After Brother Mao saved me, he kept harassing the enemy and delaying their advance."

“Good.” Liu Daogui nodded casually.

But his opinion of Mao Dezhu rose even higher. Wang Zhongde was brave and fearless, a fierce general on the battlefield, but Mao Dezhu was both intelligent and courageous, a commander capable of leading independently. Thinking back, in the years he had been in Lanling, almost every task assigned to him had been completed successfully.

With him delaying the enemy, they shouldn't have gone far.

Liu Daogui immediately ordered the soldiers to rest for two hours. They had marched swiftly to this point, and although the soldiers were not tired, the livestock were.

Many veterans did not rest, but seized the time to feed the livestock water and salt, and even took out their own dry rations to feed the livestock.

After taking good care of the livestock, he lay down to sleep on the ground, and soon began to snore.

Every major battle produces a group of elite soldiers and veterans.

The soldiers guarding the border year-round, engaging in back-and-forth battles with the enemy, have gradually improved their combat strength. Now, it seems they are almost on par with the soldiers of the Central Army.

The Northern Army was a mixed bag, with varying combat strengths, and many of its troops were not even as good as those of the Central Army.

However, the most important aspect of military strategy is the general.

The Northern Army shone brightly under Liu Laozhi and Liu Yu, but in Gao Yazhi's hands, it was utterly humiliated by the treacherous bandit...

If you take another step forward from Chengcheng, you will enter the territory of Dongping County. Although the elite troops of the Yan army have been transferred to Hebei, they still have a considerable number of troops left in Puyang and Huatai, ready to go south to provide support at any time.

Liu Daogui sent out all his scouts to investigate the surrounding situation.

A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years, but if he loses his soldiers in the process, then it is not worth it.

Two fists can't fight four hands. The soldiers had been facing off in Sishui for nearly four months and had been traveling back and forth. They were exhausted and in dire need of rest.

An hour and a half later, Mao Dezhu's messenger arrived, panting, and said, "Reporting to the military advisor, the enemy army is exhausted and has set up camp on the plains."

Liu Daogui turned around and saw that many veterans had already gotten up from the ground and put on their armor.

At a command, the drums sounded, and the soldiers scrambled to their feet. Many hadn't even opened their eyes before they were busy lining up.

"Raise troops!"

The horses' hooves thundered as they headed north.

It was September, the west wind was already cold, and the vast Central Plains were covered with ruins and weeds, giving rise to a sense of desolation.

At this point, there was no need to conserve the horse's strength anymore. We sped northward, and an hour later, we entered the plains. Mao Dezhu had been waiting for us for a long time along the way.

"Pingyou has resorted to his old tricks again, setting up an ambush in Ziyun Ravine in the southwest, with his army standing in the northwest, seemingly wanting to fight our army to the death." Mao Dezhu was extremely capable as a soldier, without uttering a single unnecessary word.

"How many troops does he have now?" Liu Daogui admired his character more and more. People who spend all their time scheming and trying to figure out human nature are unlikely to achieve much.

"When we left Rencheng, we had 6,000 men, but now we have less than 5,000. Many of them have fled along the way, and we have also eaten a lot of them."

"This guy has a death wish! He actually dares to challenge us to a duel!" Liu Zun shouted again.

“Three thousand against five thousand, the advantage is in my hands!” Liu Daogui slapped his thigh.

I'm not afraid of a decisive battle with the enemy, but I'm afraid that if Pingyou continues to flee, things might get complicated.

As for open field battles, Liu Daogui was full of confidence and immediately led his cavalry to inspect Ziyun Ravine.

A stream is a body of water that flows between mountains.

Ziyunjian is actually a river valley with two hills on the east and west sides, and a small river meandering through the middle.

But where there is water, there will always be lush vegetation.

Withered grass covered the valley floor, swaying in the autumn wind.

A thought suddenly flashed through Liu Daogui's mind: Pingyou chose this place for the decisive battle in order to lure him into a trap, and then set fire to the autumn grass in the ravine to launch a fire attack.

His mind was undeniably ruthless. If he had been the commander-in-chief in the Battle of Xiaqiu, he probably wouldn't have won so easily. Unfortunately, he was just a leader of refugees, not a Xianbei, and not surnamed Murong, so he was not valued by the Yan state.

Those who are not of our kind are sure to have different hearts; this is especially evident in the northern lands.

The governors and generals of the Yan state were almost all surnamed Murong, making it very difficult for outsiders to rise in the ranks.

Liu Daogui sneered, "Pingyou is at his wit's end, choosing this place. If he can use fire, why can't I? Order Mao Dezhu to lead his cavalry around the hills from the east, and Liu Zun to lead five hundred men around from the west. Set fire in the ravine, and when Pingyou comes, attack him from both sides. This time, we must not let him escape!"

"We obey!" The crowd accepted the order.

The scouts led their men upwind to set the fire, and in the blink of an eye, flames roared and smoke billowed.

Liu Daogui ordered his two thousand infantrymen to shout and cheer.

The autumn wind swept through, and the fire spread, engulfing the valley in the blink of an eye. The enemy troops inside were forced by the fire to rush into the river.

However, such a large amount of smoke obscures people's vision.

Liu Daogui was unaware of the situation in the north, but the north was also unaware of what Liu Daogui was doing.

After waiting for a full hour and a half, the fire subsided considerably, and only then did the sounds of fighting come from the north.

"Kill!" Liu Daogui raised his spear.

Behind him, more than twenty elite warriors charged into the still-burning flames without uttering a word. Their cloaks and robes were stained with embers, but they paid no heed, their eyes fixed only on the enemy.

The warhorse let out a mournful neigh and charged down without hesitation.

Liu Daogui and the other infantry and cavalry followed closely behind.

The pursuit took two days and a half hours, but the battle ended in less than an hour. The enemy troops in the ravine were so frightened by the Tiger Warriors' momentum that they had no courage to resist and surrendered without even throwing down their weapons.

Liu Daogui ignored them and rushed straight out of the valley.

Outside the valley, Liu Zun was already holding a bloody human head, roaring to the sky, "Axi, your brother has avenged you, you can rest in peace!"

His head was raised to the sky, but tears were already streaming down his face.

This guy may be reckless, but he's truly loyal and devoted.

With his shouts, the enemy troops also lost the courage to resist.

These people were already skin and bones from hunger, and their eyes were gleaming with a green light.

They had already heard about Liu Daogui's kindness towards prisoners of war, and they were willing to be slaves in order to survive.

Only a few of the Taira clan's retainers are still putting up a stubborn resistance.

This gave the soldiers a chance to vent their anger. Long spears pierced from all sides, and the more than three hundred armored soldiers fell one by one, their bodies unrecognizable.

(End of this chapter)