Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 258 Meat

Faced with Tuoba Gui's army of over 100,000, Zhongshan did not hold out for long before being breached.

With the fall of the capital, the Yan state suffered a severe blow, and Murong Tong, who was stationed in Fenggao, became increasingly desperate.

Liu Daogui originally thought he would go north out of the city and seek refuge with Murong Bao or Murong De.

Unexpectedly, he led his troops to surrender the entire city. Among his 7,000 soldiers, 1,000 were cavalry, and there were also more than 10,000 Dingling, Xianbei, mixed Hu and Jin people in the city.

After all these years, this is the first person with the surname Murong to join me.

Although it was a branch of the Murong family, it had a huge influence.

This set an example for other Yan armies; if they couldn't survive in Hebei, they could head south to seek refuge in the Huai and Si regions...

Five days later, more than a dozen cargo ships carrying Murong Tong's family and retainers traveled down the Si River to Gaoping.

Liu Daogui personally went to the port to welcome them.

Murong Tong's temples were gray and his face was full of wrinkles; he was at least fifty-eight, if not sixty.

Perhaps it was because of the fall of the Yan Kingdom, but he looked particularly old and tired. Even his retainers looked listless and full of sorrow.

The fall of Canhebei shattered the morale of the Yan state, and the breach of Zhongshan City broke the backbone of the Murong family.

It is truly unbelievable that the Yan state suffered such a crushing defeat only a year after Murong Chui's death. After the Battle of Fei River, the Di-Qin state persisted for eleven years, outlasting Yao Chang, before being finally destroyed by Yao Xing three years ago.

However, the women around Murong Tong were all exceptionally beautiful, although they all wore veils to cover their faces.

But beneath the black veil, glimpses of curves and allure were even more potent…

Several pairs of bright eyes were also sizing up Liu Daogui.

In those days, the social atmosphere between men and women was open. The gentry in Jiangzuo were bisexual and had all sorts of ways of dating, while the northern nomadic tribes were even bolder and more daring.

Liu Daogui was over seven feet tall and had a decent appearance. He was a head taller than Murong Tong. In the past two years, as the Jianwei General, he had been stationed in Sishang and had developed a commanding presence.

It will naturally attract women's attention.

Women are all strong-willed.

"General Liu is indeed worthy of being a descendant of the Han Dynasty. He is exceptionally brave and has risen to prominence in the Huai and Si regions in just a few years." Murong Tong coughed.

"Prefect Murong flatters me. His journey south to join me has brought an end to the war between the two sides, protecting the people of this region and keeping them away from disaster. It is truly a virtuous act," Liu Daogui said truthfully.

With a formidable enemy at hand, if the Murong family continues to fight amongst themselves like this, they will eventually be wiped out.

When Murong Yong usurped the throne, he also massacred a large number of Murong Jun, Murong Ke, and Murong Chui's descendants.

Murong Tong looked at Liu Daogui, his eyes dimming as if he had thought of something. "With the country destroyed and my family ruined, I have no face to live on. I want to die for my country, but I don't know who to die for. Now I come to the general, only hoping to protect my family."

Besides Murong Bao and the deceased Murong Xiang, the Murong family now includes Murong Lin and Murong Chong, both of whom claim to be emperors, as well as Murong De. Their intentions are obvious to everyone.

"You flatter me, Prefect. I will submit a memorial to the court to request commendation for you!" Liu Daogui said sincerely.

Unexpectedly, Murong Tong's expression changed. "There's no need to ask for credit. I'm serving the general, not the Sima family."

Liu Daogui was taken aback; there were people who didn't want wealth and status.

But then I thought about it again and suddenly understood.

For many years, the Murong family had been at odds with the Jin dynasty, and Murong Chui ruined Huan Wen's grand plan for the Northern Expedition.

Now that Huan Xuan has risen to power and is about to replace the Sima family, Murong Tong's time in Jiankang will certainly not be easy.

Moreover, the way he said this clearly showed some disdain for the Sima family's court.

Liu Daogui did not insist. "Since that's the case, you shall stay in Gaoping. Someone, quickly select a residence for Prefect Murong to settle his family, and also select an estate. Do not delay."

"Thank you, General. I have a granddaughter who has just come of age. If you don't mind, you can keep her by your side to help with cleaning." Murong Tong was quite accommodating and waved behind him.

A woman stepped forward, curtsied, and said, "My name is Murong Lanzhen, and I wish to serve the general..."

"How can this be allowed?" Liu Daogui refused repeatedly.

Murong Tongren was a shrewd old man. “With the country destroyed and her family ruined, it is her blessing to be able to serve the general. If she were to wander outside, she would be worse off than dead.”

Since that's what they've said, Liu Daogui couldn't refuse. If Fenggao surrendered, at least four or five thousand Xianbei people would follow suit and surrender.

Only by taking Murong Lanzhen into their fold will these people feel at ease.

That's just how things are in this era.

If they didn't accept the offer, the Xianbei people under their rule would be restless and unable to eat or sleep. The northern Xianbei, including the Duan, Murong, and Tuoba families, had always intermarried, which was considered an old custom of theirs.

Although the woman was only sixteen or seventeen years old, she still had a good figure under the black veil.

Her bright eyes were full of affection.

After taking her in, the relationship between the two sides indeed became more harmonious.

Liu Daogui hosted a banquet in the city to entertain them.

The Murong family has always admired the Chinese. The name Murong is the Xianbei word for "buyao" (步摇). During the Han Dynasty, their ancestor Mohuba moved to western Liaoning and saw that the Han people in the north were wearing buyao crowns, so he took Murong as his surname.

The truth or falsehood of these claims is often based on hearsay.

However, the Murong clan was deeply Sinicized. When the Han and Wei dynasties waged war in Liaodong, the Murong Xianbei were always at the forefront. When Murong Hui submitted to the Jin dynasty, he clearly stated, "Since my ancestors, we have served China for generations."

During the reigns of Murong Huijue and Murong Huang, they "taught agriculture and sericulture, and their laws and regulations were the same as those of the superior states," following the Han system. They sent envoys to relocate to prefectures and counties to settle refugees from Hebei. They also established official schools, widely promoted Confucianism, and selected renowned Confucian scholars to systematically teach the classics.

Murong Ke and Murong Han were both known for their Confucianism.

Liu Daogui and Murong Tong got along fairly well. Most importantly, he was very self-aware and only wanted to protect his family. His two sons and their families died in Zhongshan.

He only had one grandson, Murong Du, by his side, and he wouldn't let him join the army or enter officialdom.

Most of the troops he brought with him were dismissed.

Liu Daogui couldn't help but admire his ability to take things in stride.

The Murong family has reached such a point that they are no longer thinking about how to restore their kingdom, but about survival.

Almost all the hidden dangers left behind by Murong Chui have erupted.

The offspring fought amongst themselves, their strength was constantly weakened, and internal strife was brewing while external threats loomed large.

Murong Lanzhen also inherited the advantages of the Murong family; she was tall, had fair skin, and was beautiful.

Therefore, the Murong Xianbei were also called "White Hu" or "White Barbarians" by Fu Jian. However, most of the Hu women that Liu Daogui had seen were short, dark-skinned, ugly, with rough skin and a strange smell, which was completely different from the women of the Murong family.

Only Liu Zun accepted all comers...

With Murong Tong's surrender, the other cities in Taishan County had no choice but to surrender as well.

Liu Guang's army occupied Taishan Commandery without bloodshed, and all the people in the commandery, regardless of whether they were from Jin or Hu, were converted into slaves.

Things that are too easily obtained are not cherished.

Based on his many years of experience, Liu Daogui has come to a conclusion: the better you treat the Hu people, the more they will think you are weak and easy to bully.

Treating Murong Tong well does not mean treating them well.

Giving them slave status was actually a test of obedience. Those who were treacherous and unruly were now jumping out, and it was a good opportunity to deal with them all at once, so as to avoid creating various hidden dangers like those of Fu Jian and Murong Chui.

To guard against unforeseen circumstances, Liu Daogui also dispatched Liu Zun and Wang Zhongde, along with Xiao Chengzhi, Liu Huaijing, Liu Huaimo, Shen Qingzhi, Cao Yun, and others, to lead the troops of Lu Commandery and Lanling Commandery into Taishan Commandery.

This also serves as a test of the mobilization capabilities of the military headquarters and a training exercise for these trusted confidants.

Sure enough, three groups of mixed-race barbarians broke out, dissatisfied with being enslaved, and began to plunder, kill, and burn everywhere.

However, Liu Zun's four thousand soldiers and Liu Guang's two thousand regular soldiers launched a swift and decisive attack.

Xiao Chengzhi was the most outstanding among them. He led two hundred soldiers to launch a surprise attack on Chai County, attacking Duan Ganda's troops who were the most powerful and aggressive. He pursued them to Guanshi Mountain, took Duan Ganda's head, and returned. Liu Guangzhi praised him highly in the official document, considering him the one who made the greatest contribution.

Xiao Chengzhi was strongly recommended by his uncle Xiao Yuanzhi, and he was indeed extraordinary.

With Duan Ganda eliminated, the other two miscellaneous tribes were no match for him and were wiped out one by one.

All those who participated in the rebellion shall have their entire families executed.

A battle ensued, resulting in the deaths of over four thousand people, and two mounds of skulls were erected south of the Si River.

Women and livestock all became spoils of war for the soldiers...

Liu Daogui clicked his tongue inwardly, somewhat regretting sending Liu Zun, this killing machine, over there. How many people were there in the entire Taishan Commandery? With just one stroke of his blade, he had killed more than four thousand people…

But then I thought, if I'm not ruthless, I can't stand firm. If I don't act decisively, others will join in the rebellion.

These days, whether they are Hu or Jin people, they only recognize the knife, not the person.

Back then, Shi Hu was extremely vicious, killing countless people in the north, but the Zhao state became increasingly stable. Fu Hong, Yao Yizhong, and Zhai Bin were all honest and hardworking, not daring to utter a single word.

After this massacre, the others immediately quieted down, and no one complained anymore.

Liu Daogui then ordered the slave households to be relocated to Jiyin County, west of the Si River, for land reclamation.

Jiyin was also a fertile land, a water and land transportation hub in the Central Plains, and governed nine counties.

Three years ago, Murong Long implemented a scorched-earth policy, and the people moved away, but the fields and houses are still there. It's a real pity that they've been abandoned like this.

The 20,000 people of Taishan County were just enough to fill the gap.

A person with eloquence can hold a territory; relying solely on Jianwei Central Army would make it difficult to control such a large and fertile land.

Of those thousand cavalrymen, Liu Daogui selected six hundred brave and loyal men to join the Jianwei Army.

He then expanded his cavalry to two thousand, with each rider riding two horses, forty percent of them wearing iron armor as elite cavalry, and the rest wearing leather armor as light cavalry.

Liu Daogui felt that he had a strong and well-equipped army.

The land nourishes the population, the population supports the soldiers, and elite troops are built. These elite troops conquer more cities and lands, gaining even more people, thus creating a positive cycle.

Those caught in this cycle, from Liu Daogui down to military households and civilian households, all benefited. Even slave households could gain land and promotion opportunities due to their military achievements.

If every social class benefits, then naturally there will be many supporters.

Liu Daogui's power continued to grow, but there was never a large-scale migration of refugees south.

Scouts were sent out to investigate and discovered that Murong De had abandoned Ye City and stationed his troops in Liyang, blocking the southward route for the refugees.

The situation to the west is also not optimistic.

Yao Xing also joined the fray at this time, wanting to get a share of the spoils. He sent Yao Chong and Yang Fosong with 70,000 infantry and cavalry to garrison Hedong. It is unclear whether he intended to attack Shangdang, head south to Hongnong, or take Jinyang to the north.

(End of this chapter)