Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 249 Dishes

With Liu Laozhi stationed in Shanyin, the rebels shifted their attack direction to the mouth of the Yangtze River.

Undeterred by the defeat at Suanshan by Liu Yu's thousand-strong force, and with their navy unscathed, they sailed into the Yangtze River again in a grand procession just two months later.

Originally planning to attack Jiankang directly, Sima Yuanxian dispatched Gao Su, Liu Gui, Zhuge Kan, Sima Shangzhi and others to lead troops to prepare for battle. Sun En retreated from Xinzhou and went north from Guangling to Yuzhou.

They plundered along the way, taking young men with them.

"These bandits are nothing special. They couldn't even defeat Liu Jinu's mere thousand or so men. Guangling City has over six thousand men. If we gather the able-bodied men, we can get twenty thousand. Now that they are retreating eastward, we can pursue them relentlessly and capture or kill their leaders, Sun En and Lu Xun!"

Gao Yazhi felt that she was just unlucky and now urgently needed to regain her face.

After the major defeat at Yuyao, Sima Yuanxian did not abandon the Gao family, but instead gave Gao Su a high position.

The Battle of Suanshan by Liu Yu gave many people the illusion that the rebels were nothing more than a rabble.

If Liu Yu could win, then so could I.

Even Wang Yu thought so, "The demon bandits have suffered repeated defeats and their soldiers have lost their fighting spirit. Our army is well-rested and ready to capture them in one fell swoop!"

Wen Xiang glanced at Gao Yazhi, then at Wang Yu. He had been defending Yanzhou against the Yan army and had been called a pale-faced scholar by Murong Long. After heading south, he was eager to make a name for himself and gain the court's favor. "If the rebels were to travel by water, we would be helpless. Now that they are passing through Guangling, if we turn a blind eye, wouldn't we be ridiculed by the world?"

Sima Yuanxian was in need of capable people, and he was always generous. When he encouraged Liu Laozhi to betray Wang Gong, he indeed promoted him to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Army.

The Wen, Wang, and Gao families were not from humble backgrounds; they all wanted to take advantage of this major battle to climb the social ladder.

And the demon thief is the perfect stepping stone.

"An army is raised for a thousand days to be used in one moment. Order General Gao to lead five thousand elite troops to ambush the enemy from behind. Prefect Wen will lead his troops to provide support. I will mobilize all the able-bodied men in the city to lead the rear. Today is the day to make a name for ourselves!"

Wang Yu's face was full of excitement.

Even the most obtuse person could sense that chaos was imminent and that only by holding military power could one remain invincible and even restore one's family's glory.

The power of the Taiyuan Wang clan declined after the deaths of Wang Gong, Wang Guobao, and Wang Chen.

Wang Yu, the elder brother of Wang Guobao, felt that he should carry on the banner of the Taiyuan Wang clan. Even if the Sima family couldn't hold on in the future, he would still have military power and Huan Xuan would have to treat him with respect.

The three men enthusiastically gathered their troops.

Of the six thousand vanguard, half were armored soldiers, each tall and strong with gleaming armor. Some were members of the royal family's retinue, while others were Gao Heng's troops.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man and a saddle makes the horse. With gleaming armor and a forest of long spears, they certainly had the air of an elite force.

In addition, Wang Yu also brought out four hundred cavalrymen, each wearing a bright red cloak, with a small flag on their back and holding a long spear. They were very imposing and stood out among the six thousand men.

“This is the wealth of my Wang family, you…” Wang Yu pursed his lips, hesitating to speak.

"Liu Jinu led a thousand lowly servants and was able to defeat more than 100,000 demon bandits. With my six thousand elite troops, how can the demon bandits be a match for me?" Gao Ya waved his hand, grinning from ear to ear.

He immediately led his men out of the city to pursue the Celestial Masters sect.

Less than thirty miles outside the city, a scout came running to report, "General, a bandit army of five thousand men from the southeast is heading straight for our army."

Upon hearing that there were five thousand men, Gao Yazhi didn't take it seriously, saying, "I have six thousand elite troops. These thieves are coming to their deaths!"

They neither set up camps nor formations.

Half an hour later, scouts arrived from the north, reporting, "From the northeast, a bandit army of two thousand men is heading towards our army."

"They must be the enemy troops covering our retreat!"

Behind Gao Yazhi were Wen Xiang and Wang Yu, who didn't take these seven thousand men seriously at all.

The bandit army of over 100,000 men was no match for Liu Yu's 1,000-plus troops, so what could 7,000 men do?

Not only did the nobles think this way, but even the soldiers below them thought so.

An hour later, the rebel armies from both the north and south arrived. Under the spring sunshine, the armor of the rebel army gleamed.

Although the formation was not perfectly aligned, each person exuded a fierce aura.

They just stood there without saying a word, their silence terrifying.

The bandits, having been repeatedly defeated by Liu Yu, were seething with anger and nowhere to vent it.

Moreover, many of the bandits were from powerful clans in the Wu region. They used the banner of bandits, but their true purpose was to deal with the "Northern Barbarians"...

"Form ranks!" As a descendant of a noble family, he still possessed basic foresight.

Looking back, Wenxiang's banner was not far behind him.

This gave him even more confidence.

At a command, the soldiers formed a defensive formation.

Meanwhile, the demon bandits, shields in hand, slowly approached. They were still disorganized, disheveled, and barefoot, making Gao Ya look down on them even more.

Associating with renowned figures like Wang Yu and Wen Xiang, his standards of discernment unknowingly rose.

Two hundred steps, one hundred steps, eighty steps...

The thief went from walking slowly to jogging, kicking up dust from the ground.

Upon entering the area, several loud shouts suddenly rang out: "The Three Officials have appeared! Dissolve your weapons and become an immortal!"

"kill!"

All the demon bandits shouted in unison, as if a thunderbolt had struck the front of the formation, instantly causing sand and stones to fly and a murderous aura to soar into the sky.

"Release the arrows!" Gao Yazhi waved the command flag.

Arrows flew out of the formation like locusts.

The demonic bandits raised their tattered shields and charged forward recklessly. Many were struck by arrows, but as long as they weren't dead, they continued to shout "Disintegrate and become immortal!" Even those who fell, with a breath still remaining, crawled forward...

Amidst the cries of "becoming an immortal," the demon thief had already descended into madness.

Before the Jin army could fire a second arrow, the demon bandits from the north had already charged forward. The leading group of gray-haired old men charged directly into the Jin army's long spears, using their flesh and blood to tear open a gap for the demon bandits behind them.

"Madmen, they're all madmen..."

One of the Wang family's retainers was the first to throw down his weapon and turn to flee.

As soon as he took the lead, more than a hundred people around him followed suit and fled. They had been living with the Wang family for over a decade, never lacking food or drink, and had long lost their wildness.

When faced with a reckless thief, one's mentality collapses instantly.

A gap immediately appeared in the northern formation, and as more and more people fled, the gap grew larger and larger.

"Raise the troops and attack!" Cold sweat beaded on Gao Yazhi's forehead as he hurriedly waved the blue command flag.

But there was no movement. When they turned around, the four hundred gleaming armored cavalrymen had also fled...

Gao Ya was dumbfounded. At this moment, the demon bandits from the southeast also pressed forward. The Gao family's troops were the Northern Army and tried their best to resist, but they were attacked from both sides by the demon bandits and gradually could not hold on.

Although the bandits were a rabble, they secretly had many elite armored soldiers hidden among them. These men were extremely fierce, and even the Northern Army was no match for them, gradually becoming unable to resist them.

"Prefect Wen, help me!" shouted the soldiers around Gao Yazhi.

Wen Xiang still has two thousand troops at his disposal. If he charges forward, there is still a chance to turn the tide and win.

But Wen Xiang's face was ashen, and he remained motionless, as if he had been terrified by the demon bandits' imposing presence.

Zu Ti had over a hundred followers who could sweep across the area south of the Yellow River. Wen Xiang once commanded 30,000 households and had a fortified city, yet they crumbled at the first touch by Murong Long…

The front line has collapsed, and even the Northern Army is fleeing.

Gao Yazhi could only roar in anger and flee with two or three hundred trusted followers.

But the demon bandits seemed to have identified him, relentlessly pursuing him and launching a surprise attack.

Just as they were about to escape into Wen Xiang's army formation, someone in the formation suddenly shouted, "The Prime Minister of Guangling, Gao Yazhi, is here! You treacherous villain, cease your arrogance!"

After he finished speaking, Wen Xiang's followers scattered in all directions...

Gao Ya stood there blankly, her face full of despair.

Wen Xiang's men were able to escape back to the south from the iron cavalry of the Yan army, so they must have had some skills. They could not outrun the tiger, but they could outrun their comrades.

The demons abandoned Wen Xiang's forces and flocked towards Gao Ya's territory.

With a fierce glint in his eyes, Gao Yazhi raised his long sword, turned to the demon bandits, and shouted, "Since things have come to this, you may all... surrender with me..."

With a few loud clatters, the soldiers beside him opened their eyes wide.

Liu Yu's thousand-strong force fought against more than 100,000 demon bandits. Even if his two or three hundred trusted men couldn't defeat a few thousand demon bandits, they could hold out until Wang Yu's reinforcements arrived.

But Gao Yazhi had already knelt down...

"A rabble!" On a small hill in the northwest, Liu Yi, Meng Chang, Zhuge Changmin, and Lu Zongzhi coldly watched everything that was happening on the battlefield.

They originally wanted to gain some easy money and rack up some military achievements.

Unexpectedly, Gao Yazhi was defeated in less than an hour, and he himself was captured by the demon thief...

Meng Chang looked on with disdain, "Wang Yu, with his elegant and gentle demeanor, is nothing but a pampered son of a wealthy family. He only knows how to talk big and has never fought in a real battle. He deserves this defeat!"

"Our army has over 1,300 men, all of whom are brave warriors selected from among the best. If Liu Jinu could defeat 100,000 men with only 1,000, so can I. Who among you will lead the vanguard?"

Liu Yi looked at his generals with arrogance.

The bandits on the battlefield were like tireless wild beasts, relentlessly tearing at the Jin army.

Although Gao Yazhi was a pampered son of a wealthy family, his Northern Army troops were not, and they were still defeated head-on by the demon bandits.

At this moment, the demon bandits were in high spirits and riding high. If Liu Yi's troops charged forward, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Everyone looked troubled.

There is only one Liu Yu in Jiangzuo, while the Northern Army generals are in the hands of the rebels.

The situation became awkward for a moment, but Meng Chang spoke up to defuse the tension, saying, "Our army only has so many men. Even if we defeat the demon bandits, we will suffer heavy casualties. In the current situation, we should continue to build up our strength..."

Liu Yi's face turned pale and then red. Although he was unwilling, he knew that Meng Chang was right.

They had witnessed the demon thief's strength firsthand; he was fearless and undaunted.

The crucial point is that if they rush in now and things go wrong, Wen Xiang, Wang Yu, and the others won't come to his rescue...

Meng Chang continued, "After this battle, Wang Yu has lost all prestige, Huan Hong has fled to Jingzhou to avoid disaster, and Liu Daogui has gone far away to Sishang. In Guangling, you are the only one who can shoulder great responsibilities!"

Liu Yi's eyes lit up. Defeating the demon bandits would be risky, but by holding back, he could go back and reap a great reward.

In this battle, Wang Yu and Gao Yazhi's troops were either killed or wounded, and no one could suppress Liu Yi anymore.

Previously, when Wang Yu seized land and people, Liu Yi also suffered a great loss. If Meng Chang hadn't provided money and grain, Liu Yi would have been starving long ago.

Meng Chang's wife, Zhou, was quite wealthy and always quietly supported him from behind.

When the tiger is away, the monkey becomes king. Huan Hong and Liu Daogui both fled, while Wang Yu and Gao Ya's army was defeated. Fortune's wheel turns.

"Hahaha, this time it's finally my turn! Let's go back to Guangling!"

Liu Yi was full of vigor and high spirits.

(End of this chapter)