Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 254

The people of Yan were in a state of panic. The Wei army was already at the gates of Zhongshan City, and Murong De was only concerned with important towns such as Ye City, Liyang, Huatai, Puyang, and Jibei.

They don't have the energy to take care of the prefectures south of Onozawa.

As soon as the army arrived, many cities surrendered on their own initiative, and even the fortified villages sent people to contact Liu Guangzhi and Mao Dezhu, expressing their willingness to submit.

In the two months that followed, Liu Guangzhi of the northern route successfully captured Dongping County with virtually no significant resistance.

Mao Dezhu on the western route encountered resistance from Liu Bao's mixed Hu tribe.

This force was the largest Hu tribe in Huaibei, belonging to a separate branch of the Xiongnu. Originally, it consisted of only two thousand tents. They were once generals under Zhai Liao. After Zhai Liao's defeat, they occupied Daye Mountain and lived a nomadic life, following the water and grass.

After Zhai Liao was defeated, he took the opportunity to surrender to Murong Chui.

The state of Yan was very poorly governed, leaving its people to fend for themselves.

Unexpectedly, this force absorbed more than 5,000 Dingling tribes from Yu and Yan provinces, expanding to more than 5,000 tents.

After Murong Chui's death, the Yan state took a sharp turn for the worse. This man took the lead over Liu Daogui and occupied cities such as Changyi, Juye, Chengshi, and Pingyuan. He defended the cities and his cavalry harassed Mao Dezhu, but for a short time they could not do anything to him.

A few days later, a report of defeat came back: Mao Dezhu had actually been defeated and retreated thirty miles.

"The longer we wait, the more things may go wrong. General, you should lead the expedition in person as soon as possible!" Dai Qizhi advised.

Gao Xun also came to advise, "This man is capable of maneuvering between the Zhai, Wei, and Later Yan states. He is cunning and ruthless. The fighting force under Governor Mao's command is less than 30% of the enemy's army."

Five thousand tents, which is roughly twenty-three thousand people, plus livestock and warhorses.

Mao Dezhu's force of 3,000 infantry and cavalry and 4,000 auxiliary troops was indeed somewhat strained.

But with his abilities, he shouldn't have lost so quickly.

Liu Daogui was repeatedly puzzled, asking, "What were the casualties of Mao Dezhu?"

Meng Gan said: "Less than fifty were killed or wounded, and more than thirty siege engines were destroyed..."

“Then he wasn’t outmatched; rather, he was luring the enemy out of the city.” Liu Daogui trusted his judgment and Mao Dezhu’s abilities.

With Liu Bao occupying so many cities, even if Mao Dezhu were to attack them one by one, he might not succeed even if he lost all his troops.

"Luring the snake out of its hole?" Gao Xun pondered for a moment and realized it as well.

Even if Mao Dezhu was incompetent, Liu Zhong, Wang Yuande, and Tan Daoji were all men of both wisdom and courage, and the soldiers under his command were not made of clay.

"Wait a little longer!"

Don't use the suspect, but don't use it.

Changing generals on the eve of battle will only dampen the morale of the soldiers. Since Mao Dezhu has been chosen as the commander-in-chief, we should trust him.

Sure enough, five days later, Meng Ganzhi came to report with a face full of ecstasy, "General, you have a brilliant strategy. Commander Mao suffered another defeat and led the enemy army to Huan Gongdu. Commander Liu led the navy to cut off their retreat. Commander Mao personally led the iron cavalry in a fierce attack, attacking from both sides and defeating the enemy army. More than 30 enemy leaders, including Liu Bao, Chigan Duoli, Liu Liti, and Zhai Shan, were all killed! Five thousand enemy soldiers were captured. The cities of Changyi, Juye, Chengshi, and Pingyuan surrendered without a fight. Seventeen thousand Jin Yi people came under our rule. We also captured fifty-six thousand head of cattle, sheep, horses, and camels. Commander Mao took advantage of the victory and turned to attack Jiyin."

If it were someone else, they might win, but it wouldn't be this easy.

This battle actually established Mao Dezhu's status as the top general of the Jianwei Army.

They not only recovered the cities south of Dayeze, but also opened up the connection between Huan Gongdu and the Si River.

Now, the Jianwei Army's navy can travel north from Gaoping and reach Juye Marsh directly, connecting to the Ji River. Back then, Huan Wen attacked Hebei along this waterway and stationed his troops at Fangtou.

"Issue the order that all prisoners and surrendered civilians be enslaved and relocated back to Gaoping, Rencheng, and Xiaqiu!" Liu Daogui adopted Murong Long's scorched-earth policy.

The entire population was relocated to Sishui, leaving only soldiers to defend the city.

These prisoners can surrender to me today, and they can surrender to Murong De or Tuoba Gui tomorrow.

Only when it's under your nose can you feel at ease.

Those lands had been occupied by the Hu people for many years and were mostly abandoned. Liu Daogui was now mainly managing the banks of the Si River and Lanling, and did not have the extra energy to develop the newly occupied lands.

Development also requires costs and time.

Ship after ship of prisoners and cattle and sheep were transported back to Cao Bang, making everyone overjoyed.

After so many years of fighting, this is the first time we've captured so many livestock.

Liu Daogui was not stingy; he slaughtered more than three thousand sheep so that all the soldiers could have a good meal.

The soldiers who went to war got to eat a bite of meat, while the slaves who accompanied the army were quite satisfied with just a sip of meat broth. They would even crack open the bones and suck out the marrow...

A month later, Jiyin County was captured, and 6,000 Jin barbarians, 12,000 head of livestock, and 7,000 shi of grain were taken prisoner.

The area south of Ōnozawa was brought under its rule.

Mao Dezhu led 500 cavalry and 1,000 infantry to garrison Dingtao, Liu Guang led 1,000 infantry to garrison Pinglu City, and Tan Daoji led 500 men to garrison Juye, forming a defensive line around the Ji River, Daye Marsh and Huan Gong Canal.

The Sishui River basin became the rear area.

Before the winter snows, Liu Daogui led his slaves to continue cultivating land north and west of the Si River.

Meanwhile, the war raged in the north. The Wei army besieged Zhongshan but failed to capture it after a long siege. They then occupied Boling and Lukou, and the defending generals fled at the mere sight of them. The counties and prefectures of Jizhou surrendered one after another.

However, Murong De decisively defeated Wei general Tuoba Zhang at Ye City and repelled Tuoba Yi, holding the city and allowing Yan to barely hold on. Wei was showing signs of fatigue, and the Yan army was unable to launch a counterattack, resulting in a stalemate between the two sides.

"General, the envoy from Jingzhou has arrived!"

Liu Daogui was building an irrigation canal when Meng Ganzhi rushed over.

"Jingzhou?"

While war raged in the south and north, the western prefecture remained eerily quiet, which was quite strange given Huan Xuan's personality.

“It was sent by Huan Xuan.”

"Let's go back and take a look." Liu Daogui washed the mud off his body by the pond and rode back to Rencheng.

I changed into presentable clothes before meeting the guests.

"The Jin dynasty has divided its territory into three parts, and the Huan family already owns two of them. Sima Yuanxian is still wet behind the ears, yet he seized power from his father and usurped a high position. The chaos caused by the rebels is all his fault. General Liu and his brother are heroes of unparalleled talent, and Huan Nanjun has long admired them. If they can restore order to the country, they should be appointed as the governor of Yanzhou and the military commander of the Huai and Si rivers!"

Inside the guest room, Bian Chongzhi, the envoy sent from Jingzhou, spoke eloquently.

In the past two years, the Celestial Masters sect has been rising up in the three Wu regions and eight counties. Huan Xuan, located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, has integrated the western prefecture and firmly grasped the four provinces of Yu, Jing, Jiang and Yong.

He controlled one-third of the Jin dynasty's army, and these were the formidable and skilled Western Army.

In contrast, after Sima Yuanxian was promoted to Prince of Langya, he did not work hard to govern the country. Instead, he engaged in large-scale construction projects, amassed wealth and increased taxes, and continued to live a life of debauchery.

The Sima family's court was just waiting for someone to kick it.

Under heaven, only two people are qualified to do so: Huan Xuan and Liu Laozhi, who control the Western and Northern Armies respectively.

After the Battle of Suanshan, Liu Yu's reputation soared and his status in the Northern Army rose steadily. Liu Daogui also made a name for himself in Huaibei, becoming a new force that could not be ignored.

On the surface, Huan Xuan's offer was incredibly tempting: the governorship of Yanzhou and the commander-in-chief of Huai and Si provinces—things he had always dreamed of.

But this piece of fatty meat isn't that tasty either.

Huan Xuan was someone I had met once before at the gambling den in Jingkou. He was competitive and extremely cunning, so the bait he offered would naturally come at a price.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Liu Daogui knew that he was to be at the forefront...

It doesn't matter if he's at the forefront, but his so-called governorship of Yanzhou and governorship of Huai and Si are all empty titles. Yanzhou isn't even his; Liu Daogui only occupies the three prefectures of Lu, Rencheng, and Gaoping.

The title of Governor of Huai and Si is utter nonsense; his actual power was less than that of the Prefect of Pengcheng.

Huan Xuan made grand promises before anything was even started, generously using the Sima family's resources, showing absolutely no sincerity.

Bian Chongzhi, however, seemed absolutely certain. “General, do you still have any doubts? Isn’t the situation in the world clear enough? To be honest, the powerful families and military officers of Jiangzuo are flocking to my Huan family like carp crossing the river. This opportunity must not be missed, and you must not make a mistake.”

"I am from the Liu family of Pengcheng, and I come from the Northern Prefecture. The Northern Prefecture is loyal to the court, and so am I!" Liu Daogui didn't waste any more words with him.

The man spoke with the arrogance often associated with the aristocracy, as if he were bestowing a handout.

If Liu Daogui truly wanted the position of Governor of Yanzhou, he could immediately send troops north to capture Dongping, Puyang, and Taishan counties; there was no need for Huan Xuan to make such a promise.

However, nothing was set in stone. As for who would rule the court, that would depend on Huan Xuan's abilities.

Choosing the wrong side can lead to self-inflicted trouble, but choosing the wrong side too early can also cause significant problems.

Liu Daogui is currently far from Jiangdong and can simply observe from the sidelines. He will side with whoever wins and there's no need to rush to place a bet.

Huan Xuan was not entirely certain of victory.

The key lies in the attitude of the Northern Army. Sima Yuanxian is incompetent in governing the country, but he is quite skilled in internal power struggles. In these few battles with Huan Xuan, he has not been at a disadvantage. He also took the opportunity to transfer the troops of Gao Su, Zhuge Kan, Zhu Qianzhi, Liu Xi, Liu Jiwu, and Sun Wuzhong of the Northern Army to protect Jiankang.

Liu Laozhi is unreliable, but not all the generals of the Northern Army are necessarily on Huan Xuan's side.

Bian Chongzhi was taken aback, his eyes scanning him up and down. "In that case, General, take care of yourself. Farewell."

Throughout, this man carried the arrogance unique to soldiers, as well as a faint sense of alienation.

"I will not see you off further." Liu Daogui sighed inwardly. He was now the Prefect of Pengcheng and General Jianwei, but it seemed that he still could not catch the eye of these aristocratic families.

But that's normal. Even Liu Laozhi was looked down upon by them, let alone themselves.
The rebellion in the eight prefectures of the Three Wu regions has not yet been quelled, and the root cause lies with these gentry who migrated south.

The Bian family was not a prominent clan during the Wei and Jin dynasties, but after joining Huan Xuan, they became arrogant and domineering.

"Outrageous! How dare you underestimate the general! We might as well kill him on the way..." Liu Zun made a throat-slitting gesture.

Liu Daogui glanced at him sideways, "There are countless gentry in Jiangzuo, how many can you kill?"

"Kill as many as you can!" Liu Zun was seething with anger.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "If all these aristocratic families were courteous, polite, and exceptionally talented, would there be any way out for us commoners?"

“That’s true…” Liu Zun scratched the back of his head.

In times of peace, they occupy high positions, and commoners have no chance of rising to prominence. But now that chaos has descended, the good days for these aristocratic families are coming to an end...

(End of this chapter)