Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 261 Struggle

After the Battle of Fei River, Xie Xuan led the Northern Army to recover Yuzhou and Luoyang, but he did not put much effort into managing them in recent years.

The Sima family, confined to the area south of the Yangtze River, adopted a laissez-faire approach to the region north of the Huai River.

Therefore, Yuzhou not only had powerful clans and displaced leaders, but also a number of beggars and bandits who ruled the mountains.

When the Yan army marched south, they suffered the greatest losses.

Liu Daogui can leave, but they can't.

After the military order was issued, a group of refugees and a group of bandits quickly came to help. Although there were only a little over a thousand people, it was a good start.

Western Henan is mountainous, and whenever the Central Plains were in chaos, bandits would gather in large numbers in the mountains.

"Can these people fight?" Liu Zun looked at the group of ragged "reinforcements" and thought they were beggars from somewhere.

"You can't judge a book by its cover. Whether someone can fight or not, we'll see on the battlefield!" Liu Daogui was very optimistic.

Although this group's "military appearance" wasn't great, the fact that they dared to come showed that they still had guts.

Moreover, each person carried weapons such as machetes and axes, exuding a fierce aura.

Liu Daogui kept his promise and provided them with food.

Looking at the fluffy white rice, many people burst into tears, saying, "We will repay the general's kindness with our lives!"

"Before the Battle of Feishui, the Hu people robbed us; after the Battle of Feishui, the imperial court also robbed us. Only the general treated us like human beings."

They were all filled with righteous indignation.

The discipline of the Northern Army was truly appalling; they were no different from the barbarians, looting wherever they went.

"Everyone, have eaten and drunk your fill. I have an important matter to entrust to you!" Liu Daogui pressed on while the iron was hot.

"General, please speak."

"We have come from afar and are unfamiliar with the local customs. We urge you all to go and persuade the various tribes to join us in killing the barbarians!"

"Haha, this is easy, let's go now!"

"No rush, each person should take ten strings of cash and three liters of grain as travel expenses."

In this world, you can't do anything without money.

"Since the general has treated us so well, we... would go through fire and water and die a thousand deaths without hesitation!"

After receiving their money and provisions, everyone went their separate ways.

Liu Huaizhen said, "What if these people don't come back...wouldn't that be a waste of so much money and grain?"

"If even one out of ten men returns, we've already made a profit. This battle is about winning hearts and minds. Since Luqiu Xian and Deng Qifang have lost, it's the perfect opportunity for us to extend our reach into Yuzhou!"

Liu Daogui also had his own selfish motives.

Murong De is powerful, so it is not realistic for him to expand northward. Pilu Hun has been operating in Qingzhou for many years, so it is difficult for him to get involved.

Yuzhou is teeming with refugee armies and beggar armies, possessing immense potential.

Since both Luqiu Xian and Deng Qifang are giving it away, it's better to give it to yourself than to give it to Murong De.

"Yuzhou!" Liu Huaizhen was taken aback.

"The population of the Central Plains is no less than that of Qingzhou. As long as we raise our banner, we will have no shortage of people coming to join us!"

"You are indeed a man of great foresight..."

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "Otherwise what? Did we rush all this way to aid Yuzhou for the sake of the imperial court?"

"Report! Prefect Luqiu and General Deng have returned!" the scout reported from outside the tent.

"These two are still alive?" Liu Daogui was surprised.

It's quite an achievement that they've survived until now.

Liu Huaizhen asked, "How many men did they bring back?"

"Alone, just the two of them..."

Twenty thousand soldiers were gone just like that. Liu Daogui sighed in his heart. Since the southward migration, more people had died directly or indirectly at the hands of aristocratic families than at the hands of the barbarians.

The chaos caused by bandits and thieves in Jiangzuo is clear evidence of this.

Every time the Jin dynasty launched a northern expedition, refugees from the north would rise up in response, but the campaigns always ended in a dismal failure. The aristocratic families would pack up and leave, leaving the refugees to be slaughtered by the nomadic tribes. Even those who managed to escape to the Jianghuai region would be massacred by the Jin army...

"Bring them in."

"Leader!"

Before long, two men who looked like beggars were brought in. They were disheveled and dirty. One of them, a short and fat man, had an arrogant look on his face. Judging from his expression, you could tell that he was Lu Qiu Xian, who came from a noble family.

His first words were accusatory: "General Liu, now that you've arrived in Chenliu, why didn't you come to our aid?"

Liu Daogui sat on the straw mat, too lazy to waste words with these two idiots, and coldly stared at them.

The 20,000 men were wiped out without a single casualty, yet they showed no remorse and continued confidently, "If General Liu can immediately lead his troops north, he can atone for his mistakes."

Liu Daogui still did not answer.

The surrounding soldiers had already placed their hands on their sword hilts. Sensing the heavy atmosphere, the two men finally fell silent.

Just then, a series of muffled thunderclaps came from outside, and the ground shook violently.

Without asking, one knew that Murong De's cavalry had arrived; the commotion was no less than 20,000 strong.

The clanging of armor echoed from within the camp.

The two men's expressions changed. "General Liu has rendered meritorious service in resisting the Suo barbarians. We will not stay any longer. Please prepare a carriage to send us back to Nanyang."

The soldiers around him looked at him with increasing disdain.

Over the years, Liu Daogui gradually discovered a pattern: those whom the Sima family favored were almost always good-for-nothings.

Wang Ningzhi was like this, Xie Yan was like this, Gao Yazhi was like this, and the two people in front of him were the same. "How can you just leave like this? Didn't you two want to make amends? Men, send you two to the battlefield to fight Murong De!" Liu Daogui's face was full of murderous intent.

“You…” Lu Qiu Xian’s face turned deathly pale.

The tall Deng Qifang standing next to him said, "General, do you intend to treat human life so lightly?"

"You two have treated 20,000 lives with contempt, so why can't I treat you the same way? Men, throw you out of the tent!"

"Leader!"

Four elite guards stepped forward. The two men tried to struggle, but they were no match for the guards and were quickly subdued and dragged out of the tent.

Liu Daogui followed behind, carrying a knife.

Outside the camp, the Yan cavalry formed a dark mass, like a still tide, with a tall banner bearing the character "Yan" standing against the wind.

Dozens of banners bearing the character "Jin" were thrown on the ground and trampled repeatedly by horses' hooves, while these Yan cavalrymen were wearing standard Jin army armor.

Murong De was not Murong Bao or Murong Nong. After the Battle of Canhebei, he was left by Murong Chui to guard Ye City, where he recovered much of his strength.

Now that they have defeated 20,000 Jin troops, their morale has soared.

They were like hungry wolves in the wilderness, their eyes fixed on their prey.

Based on these charges alone, it wouldn't be an exaggeration for Liu Daogui to have them torn to pieces.

The two left the camp, but dared not go any further.

Gao Xun shot an arrow between their legs, shouting, "If you dare hesitate, you will be executed without mercy!"

The two of them walked forward, their bodies trembling.

But the Yan army opposite them had no interest in the two men at all, and stared at the camp without moving.

"Liu Daogui... If the King of Langya finds out what happened today, he will surely exterminate your entire clan!" Luqiu Xian roared.

Gao Xun and Liu Huaishen looked at Liu Daogui with worried expressions.

"You two shouldn't try to glorify yourselves. Weren't Wang Guobao and Wang Xu more prestigious than you back then? They were still killed without a second thought," Liu Daogui mocked.

Sima Yuanxian himself was in dire straits, and it was uncertain how long he could hold out.

And Liu Daogui was not the only member of the Liu clan in Pengcheng. Not to mention those two, even if Wang Kai and Wang Yu were killed, Sima Yuanxian could only turn a blind eye.

Times have changed, and Liu Daogui's wings have hardened...

Luqiu Xian was still wailing: "You will die a horrible death! I curse your Liu family to be like the Sima and Murong families, with your descendants killing each other and never having peace for eternity!"

This curse was extremely vicious, and it was uttered by him just before he died.

In those days, metaphysics and prophecies were all the rage. Although Liu Daogui did not believe in them, the soldiers and generals around him looked worried.

Liu Daogui was furious, "Twenty thousand soldiers have lost their lives because of you, what about them? I am acting on behalf of Heaven, what's wrong with that!"

Deng Qifang trembled and stopped in his tracks. After all, he was a military officer, and he still had courage and a sense of shame. He shouted loudly, "Lend me a long spear!"

The camp immediately threw out long spears and ring-pommel swords. Deng Qifang picked up a long spear and a ring-pommel sword, turned around, and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you."

After saying this, he raised his long spear and charged towards the surging Yan army opposite him.

A hail of arrows rained down, and Deng Qifang instantly turned into a hedgehog, collapsing to the ground.

A light cavalry unit of the Yan army charged forward and fired a burst of arrows into the camp. Luqiu Xian's figure was instantly swallowed up by the galloping hooves.

The soldiers raised their shields.

This kind of blitzkrieg is more intimidating than effective in actual combat. It might be somewhat lethal to unarmored civilians, but it's barely effective against armored infantry.

After a series of clanging sounds, the troops retreated from west to east.

Luqiu Xian, on the other hand, turned into a pile of minced meat.

"Submit a memorial to the court, saying that General Deng sacrificed his life for the country, and that Prefect Luqiu abandoned his post and fled, only to be killed by the Yan rebels," Liu Daogui said to Liu Huaishen beside him.

"I'll take care of it right away." Liu Huaizhen turned and left.

Liu Daogui remained still and waited in full battle array. The Yan army did not dare to launch a fierce attack, and only a few cavalrymen charged and shot.

An hour later, a group of men slowly advanced, shouting towards the camp: "The Sima family's fate is sealed. You are a hero of our time. Why not join forces with our army, march south to plot against the Jin dynasty, and divide the Sima family's glorious empire among yourselves? What do you say?"

Liu Daogui was secretly astonished. Murong De's ambition was beyond comprehension. He actually wanted to try to accomplish what Shi Hu and Fu Jian had failed to do.

However, one can't blame anyone else; the Jin dynasty has indeed been utterly incompetent in recent years.

Having won the Battle of Feishui, they have become complacent and are now in chaos in Jiangzuo, with Huan Xuan eyeing them covetously.

Of course, this could also be a test from the other side, but their contempt for the Jin dynasty is undeniable.

Liu Daogui ordered his soldiers to shout: "Murong De, how do you compare yourself to Fu Jian and Murong Chui? How dare you spout such arrogant words! If you have the guts, come and attack!"

After a moment of silence, the other party shouted again, "Since you refuse to help me, why not give up Yuzhou, and then our two families can live in peace?"

Liu Daogui's heart skipped a beat. Murong De's army was now strong and well-equipped, and he had just defeated the Jin army, giving him the upper hand.

The fact that they've lowered their stance like this suggests they must have some concerns.

Either there is internal instability, or the Wei army from the north is pressing in step by step.

Fu Guang's rebellion has not yet been resolved.

"How about you give up the platform and I'll let you return to Hebei? The Bian River is my witness, I will never attack from behind!" Liu Daogui swore, pointing to the Bian River to the east.

"Hahaha……"

A burst of laughter erupted from the opposite side, and they turned and left with their armored cavalry.

Woo, woo, woo—

Amidst the sound of bugles, the Yan cavalry retreated like the tide...

(End of this chapter)