Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 253

"Tuoba Gui's luck is just too incredible!" Liu Daogui couldn't help but exclaim after reading the intelligence gathered by his spies in Ye City.

The Yan army captured Pingcheng with great momentum, and Tuoba Gui was even preparing to abandon the city and flee. Unexpectedly, Murong Chui fell ill at Canhebei.

The army retreated to Shanggu County, and Murong Chui's fate was unknown. However, he was seventy years old this year, and it was estimated that he would have difficulty surviving this time.

"With Murong Chui dead, the Yan state will inevitably fall into internal strife. Our army may be able to march north and recover Yan and Yu!" Wang Yuande perked up again, never forgetting the northern expedition.

The four provinces south of the Yellow River were Si, Yu, Yan, and Qing. Si was still in the hands of the Jin dynasty, half of Yu and Yan were in the hands of the Yan state, and Qing was in the hands of Bilu Hun. They nominally submitted to the Jin dynasty, but in reality, they were independent states.

"The time is indeed ripe to recapture Yanzhou, and at the very least, we should take Jibei," Liu Daogui said, pointing to the map.

The Ji River is connected to the Huan Gong Canal, which in turn is connected to the Si River. Our naval advantage can offset the cavalry advantage from the north.

However, the problem remains: to expand from the Sishui River basin to the Jishui River, a large population is needed; otherwise, the occupied land and cities cannot be converted into profits and will instead become a burden.

There were many fortified villages of refugee leaders and powerful clans on both sides of the Ji River, but the only way to get them to hand over their people was through armed conflict.

Once he takes action, Liu Daogui's reputation in the north will suffer.

After all, these fortified villages were nominally loyal to the Jin dynasty and had made certain contributions in resisting the Hu people in the north and sheltering refugees.

Whether there are any good results or not, let's try our luck first.

The Ji River basin was not entirely inhabited by refugee leaders and powerful clans; there were also many Hu peoples and Yan soldiers. Once the north was in chaos, a large number of refugees would inevitably migrate south, and Jibei would become the outpost.

Forewarned is forearmed, without prejudging the waste.

Once the strategy of advancing into Jibei was decided, the entire military government mobilized. Spies and merchants flocked north to gather intelligence on the Yan army's deployment and to befriend the refugee leaders in Jibei.

Food supplies, weapons, and warships were also being concentrated in Lu County.

With the spring planting season over, the able-bodied men built all sorts of siege weapons.

The cavalry, navy, and infantry trained siege tactics every two days.

Liu Daogui had fought so many battles, mostly in open field battles. When he marched south to Xiaqiu and Rencheng, he relied on endurance and had little experience in frontal assaults.

These days, a fortified village can be defended for months, and a city for years.

During the Three Kingdoms period, the city of Hefei blocked six large-scale northern expeditions by the Eastern Wu. Each time, there were only a few thousand people in the city, while the Wu army numbered over 100,000.

In Chencang, Hao Zhao's 1,000 Wei soldiers held off Zhuge Liang's 30,000-strong army.

Fortunately, the veteran soldiers under his command were familiar with the methods and tactics, including digging, cutting off water supply, using catapults, battering rams, and siege ladders.

In any case, the Northern Army's ability to attack and defend cities was certainly stronger than that of the Xianbei people, because most of these cities were built by Han Chinese people, while the nomadic people had no fixed abode.

In June, shocking news came from the north: Murong Chui finally succumbed to his illness and died in Juyang, Shanggu, at the age of seventy.

Upon ascending the throne, Murong Bao granted a general amnesty to prisoners within his territory.

The first thing they did after burying Murong Chui was to force Duan Yuanfei to commit suicide together with Murong Lin. The reason was that Duan Yuanfei thought Murong Bao was indecisive and Murong Lin was treacherous, so she suggested that Murong Nong, the Prince of Liaoxi, and Murong Long, the Prince of Gaoyang, be established as emperors.

Murong Bao has always held a grudge against him.

However, Consort Duan was no ordinary consort. She came from the Duan clan of the Xianbei people, and her younger sister, Consort Duan Ji, married Murong De.

Murong De is now one of the pillars of the Yan state. After Murong Bao succeeded to the throne, he followed Murong Chui's will and appointed Murong De as the military commander of the six provinces of Ji, Yan, Qing, Xu, Jing and Yu, the special general, the general of chariots and cavalry, the governor of Ji province, and concurrently the military commander of the Southern Barbarians, to guard Ye city and the military commander of the Southern Xia.

The state of Yan was plagued by internal discord.

The saying goes, "If you don't kill the snake, keep going." Murong Chui failed to deal with Tuoba Gui, but now that Murong Chui is dead, the Wei Kingdom can breathe a sigh of relief.

Tuoba Gui did not delay for a moment and immediately assembled an army of 400,000 and marched straight for Jinyang.

"Report: Murong De has divided his troops to Huatai, Puyang, and Jibei to strengthen the defenses in the south. In addition, Murong De has been colluding with the Qin state and has been frequently in contact with them."

Meng Ganzhi brings the latest news.

"The Qin state?" Liu Daogui was taken aback.

In recent years, Yao Qin was not content with his position. After the new ruler Yao Xing succeeded to the throne, he worked diligently to govern the country, ensured the well-being of the people, developed the economy, built water conservancy projects, cared about agriculture, and showed compassion for the widowed and orphaned.

Two years ago, he defeated Fu Deng, completely destroyed the Fu Qin dynasty, and wiped out the forces of Dou Chong, Qiang Xi, Yang Duo, Hu Jinbao, Jiang Ru, Quan Qiancheng, Liu Gong, and others, unifying Guanzhong. He also received assistance from the Xue clan, a powerful family in Hedong, extending his influence to Hedong.

After the disastrous defeat at Canhebei, the state of Yan suffered a significant decline in its national strength, and the Jin dynasty was mired in a series of internal strife from which it could not extricate itself, while the power of Yao Qin rose rapidly.

Yao Xing's alliance with Murong De clearly indicates his intention to expand into the Central Plains!
He who controls the Central Plains controls the world.

Throughout history, those who unified Guanzhong have all coveted Guandong. The Jin dynasty is currently preoccupied with its own problems, and the defenses of Sili and Yu provinces are weak, presenting a perfect opportunity for Yao Qin to make his move.

Liu Zhong also saw through the scheme, "The Qiang bandits are definitely plotting to seize Luoyang!"

"Immediately write a memorial to the court, and also write a secret letter to Xin Gongjing, the governor of Henan."

Liu Daogui is currently the Jianwei General and Prefect of Pengcheng, a bulwark for the Jin dynasty. His resentment towards the Sima family and other powerful clans is a family matter, while Yao Qin's plot to seize Luoyang is a foreign invasion. Unfortunately, his own strength is limited, he is blocked by Murong De, and is further separated by Yuzhou controlled by Huan Jia, making it impossible for him to reach the capital in time.

However, Luoyang was a mess. When Zhu Xu was stationed there, he defeated Zhai Liao and Murong Yong in succession, but Sima Daozi deliberately suppressed him because he was an old friend of Huan Wen.

After Zhu Xu left office, Luoyang was left unattended and neglected, and was placed under the jurisdiction of Xin Gongjing, the governor of Henan.

Xin Gongjing was born into the Xin clan of Didao. He was skilled in both literature and martial arts and had great talent.

After the memorial was sent out, the court surprisingly responded quickly, contrary to its usual practice. Sima Yuanxian praised Liu Daogui for his "loyalty to the country," but he only said the same things over and over again, telling Liu Daogui to act according to the circumstances.

"Damn it, with so few men at my disposal, how am I supposed to act according to the situation..." Liu Daogui was extremely frustrated.

But the imperial court didn't care, so there was no use in getting anxious.

Xin Gongjing's reply was quite sincere, stating that he had already instructed Tao Zhongshan, the prefect of Hongnong, and Dong Mai, the prefect of Huashan, to strengthen defenses. He added, "Luoyang and Pengcheng are the foundation of the Central Plains. If the Qiang bandits arrive while you are guarding Pengcheng, I will fight to the death to protect the state..."

Indeed, the Jin dynasty's foothold in the Central Plains was Luoyang and Pengcheng.

If Luoyang falls, the entire area south of the Yellow River will be lost.

Pengcheng is gone, and people from the north and south of the Huai River now roam freely...

After that, Zhao conquered Pengcheng, Shouchun, and Hefei, then sailed south across the Yangtze and Han rivers, looking towards Jiankang.

Xin Gongjing was from a northern aristocratic family, and he was much more principled than the decadent and dissolute high-ranking families of the south, and he didn't have their problems.

"He said to act according to circumstances, which means we should decide what to do. It's a good opportunity to send troops to take Yanzhou!" Liu Zun scratched the back of his head.

These words reminded Liu Daogui, "You're a real talent!"

Without an imperial edict, one can only make do with a chicken feather.

Murong Chui is dead, and the Yan state is on the verge of collapse. If I do nothing, I will be letting down the Jianwei General appointed by Sima Yuanxian, and even more so, I will be letting down the soldiers under my command.

While they couldn't capture key towns like Huatai, Puyang, and Jibei, the three prefectures of Dongping, Shanyang, and Jiyin south of Dayeze were no problem at all.

Even if we can't take it, we can still test Murong De's reaction.

"Hey, so you agree to send troops?" Liu Zun's eyes gleamed with a sly light.

Dai Qi said, “Of the eight prefectures and fifty-six counties in Yanzhou, General, you have already taken Rencheng and Gaoping. If you take Dongping, Shanyang, and Jiyin, you will have five out of eight, which will surely arouse the court’s suspicion. In my opinion, it would be better to send troops under the name of the leader of the refugees and attack various places, without being under the jurisdiction of Jianwei Army, so as to deceive the court.”

"You're full of bad ideas!" Liu Zun laughed.

Dai Qizhi chuckled dryly, “A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on. Since the court cannot use me, I will serve the general.”

Those who understand the imperial court best are undoubtedly its henchmen.

For eighty years after the southward migration, anyone who harbored ambitions to launch a northern expedition was sure to be suppressed.

Although the Sima family is now in disgrace, they are still a prominent aristocratic family. As long as they exist, they will never stand idly by and watch a commoner rise to power...

"After the autumn harvest, Liu Guangzhi, Liu Zun, and Wang Zhongde led two thousand soldiers and four thousand military households to attack Dongping in the north. Mao Dezhu, Liu Zhong, Wang Yuande, and Tan Daoji led three thousand infantry and cavalry and four thousand military households to attack Shanyang and Jiyin. All personnel were forbidden to have flags and were to disguise themselves as Hu people!"

Liu Daogui's power base is in the Northern Army, so he cannot really break ties with the Jin Dynasty.

The Huai and Si rivers, sandwiched between the north and south, will soon be submerged in the rolling dust of the barbarians without the support of the south.

"Leader!"

As the autumn harvest drew near, the situation in the north changed daily. Murong Chui, with his outstanding military talent, directly elevated the status of the Yan state in the north. Now that Murong Chui was dead, the Yan state was gradually revealing its true colors.

Tuoba Gui summoned the various tribes of the grasslands, raised an army of over 400,000, and launched a major southward campaign. Murong Nong came out of the city to meet him in battle but was defeated. Sima Muyu Song closed the city gates and refused to let him in. Murong Nong fled eastward, and Tuoba Gui sent Changsun Fei to pursue and kill him. The Yan army was completely annihilated, and Murong Nong was seriously wounded. Even his wife and children fell into the hands of the Wei army. He escaped alone back to Zhongshan.

With Bingzhou falling into the hands of Wei, Wei gained a superior position over Hebei.

Tuoba Gui, without stopping, dispatched General Yu Lidi and General Gongsun Lan with 20,000 infantry and cavalry to march out of Jingxing Pass and head straight for Zhongshan. Tuoba Yi and Tuoba Zhang attacked Yecheng, while Wang Jian and Li Li attacked Xindu, preparing to destroy the Yan state in one fell swoop.

The once powerful Yan state was now on the verge of collapse and could no longer care about the area south of the Yellow River.

After the autumn harvest, the two groups immediately headed north.

Liu Daogui personally saw them off, and although he deliberately wore tattered clothes, it could not conceal his elite demeanor.

Thanks to the Battle of Sishui, the armor coverage rate of the Jianwei Central Army reached as high as 40%. Among the 1,200 cavalrymen, there were 321 iron cavalrymen, each carrying a finely crafted long spear.

The soldiers and slaves disassembled the siege equipment and loaded it onto the ships in batches.

"Northern Expedition!"

"Northern Expedition!" The soldiers' shouts were earth-shattering, and many veterans were moved to tears.

The force under his command was a melting pot of Northern Army soldiers, refugee soldiers, Wuxing youths, and slaves, but without a doubt, they were all passionate men.

(End of this chapter)