Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 271 Stupid

Jiankang.

All the generals of the Northern Army gathered, and even Liu Laozhi came from Jingkou.

Wang Kai held the proclamation in his hands and read it aloud to the generals of the Northern Army:

"Alas! Heaven has rejected the virtue of Jin and sent down this wicked beast. The traitor Huan Xuan, originally from a humble family in Qiao, was favored by the late emperor and received imperial favor for generations. His ancestor Huan Yi died for his country, and his heroic name still lives on; his father Huan Wen was arrogant and domineering, and had already harbored rebellious intentions. Now, Xuan, with the nature of a jackal and wolf, has inherited the schemes of a wicked beast, outwardly appearing loyal and diligent, but inwardly harboring treason. He has usurped the powerful territory of Jingchu, raised henchmen, secretly gathered villains, and secretly amassed weapons. He oppresses the people like straw dogs, regards the court as mere ornaments, drinks blood in the Jianghuai region, and makes the three Wu regions weep. The crimes of this scoundrel are too numerous to record..."

Sima Yuanxian promoted himself to General of the Cavalry and Grand Commander of the Expedition, overseeing the military affairs of eighteen provinces. He was also granted the titles of Attendant-in-Ordinary, Yellow Axe, and Twenty-man Guards with Ban Swords. He appointed Liu Laozhi as the Vanguard Commander and formally launched an attack on Huan Xuan.

"Our Northern Army is irreconcilably opposed to the Huan bandits!" Gao Su's voice was loud and clear, and he was the first to respond.

Now the imperial court and the Northern Army are in the same boat, sharing both glory and ruin, which is why all the generals are invigorated.

After defeating the Western Army, the generals of the Northern Army can also advance further based on their military achievements.

Therefore, this battle received the support of most of the Northern Army generals.

"Liu Laozhi, listen to my command! You are hereby promoted to General Who Conquers the West and concurrently appointed Governor of Jiangzhou!" Wang Kai looked at Liu Laozhi with a complicated expression.

If they win this battle, Liu Laozhi will be on equal footing with them.

The Liu family of Pengcheng officially became a prominent family.

"This humble general obeys!" Liu Laozhi accepted the imperial edict with both hands.

Unexpectedly, Wang Kai's hand trembled, and the imperial edict fell to the ground.

Liu Laozhi looked up at Wang Kai, and Wang Kai looked back at him, showing no apology on his face, nor any intention to reach out and pick it up.

Sima Yuanxian's acceptance of Liu Laozhi did not mean that these old-established noble families recognized him as the Governor of the Northern Army.

Wang Kai, a member of the Taiyuan Wang clan and a cousin of Wang Gong, had long harbored resentment towards Liu Laozhi.

Just as the atmosphere became somewhat awkward, Sima Yuanxian walked over from behind, picked up the imperial edict from the ground, blew on it, and placed it in Liu Laozhi's hand, saying, "The fate of the nation is now entrusted to you, General!"

"This humble general will certainly live up to the trust placed in him by the King of Langya. Huan Xuan is still wet behind the ears. I will surely be able to destroy the Western Prefecture in one battle and capture and kill all the Huans!" Liu Laozhi's face was full of loyalty.

Combined with his distinctive purple face, he looked even more honest and kind.

Sima Yuanxian gripped his hand tightly, "If we win this battle, I will not hesitate to bestow upon you a reward of dukedom and marquis!"

During the Jin Dynasty, the dukes and marquises were all granted real fiefs. Wang Dao's title of Duke of Shixing, Tao Kan's title of Duke of Changsha, Huan Wen's title of Duke of Nan, and Xie An's title of Duke of Luling were all passed down to their sons, bringing them great honor and favor for a time.

Sima Yuanxian really went all out for Liu Laozhi.

But Sima Dewen, the General of the Guards and the official in charge of the Six Affairs of the Ministry of Personnel behind him, frowned.

Judging from Sima Yuanxian's tone, if they win this battle, he will ascend the throne upon his return, just like Huan Wen's Northern Expedition back then.

They all established their prestige through military achievements.

Sima Yuanxian was so eager to attack Huan Xuan not only because the threat from the Western Prefecture was growing, but also because he was no longer satisfied with being just the King of Langya.

Sima Dewen was the younger brother of Emperor Sima Dezong, so logically he should have been the next in line to succeed him...

However, now that Sima Yuanxian holds great power, no one dares to say anything.

"If I cannot capture and kill Huan Xuan, I will surely leave his body exposed in the marketplace!" Liu Laozhi swore a solemn oath in a moment of excitement.

"In that case, I can rest easy!" This was exactly the promise Sima Yuanxian wanted.

When Zhang Fashun advised that Liu Laozhi should either be killed or forced to kill Huan Qian and sign a pledge of allegiance, Sima Yuanxian did not heed his advice.

Now, all their hopes are pinned on Liu Laozhi.

"send troops!"

The drums and horns sounded in unison, their roar echoing throughout the city.

The banners of Liu Bei, Gao Yuan, Sun Quan, Zhuge Liang, Zhu De, and other generals of the Northern Army all turned westward.

On the Yangtze River, sails are like clouds, and hundreds of boats are sailing across the river.

This time, the imperial court spared no expense, requisitioning all civilian and merchant ships in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Sima Yuanxian even contributed his two warships to temporarily assemble a naval force, with Sima Huizhi as its general.

Under the blazing sun, the iron armor gleamed coldly, and the military bearing was quite impressive.

This battle mobilized almost all the forces of the Jin dynasty. In addition to Liu Laozhi's Northern Army and the navy on the Yangtze River, there was also Sima Shangzhi's army north of the river, totaling 130,000 troops, who marched menacingly towards Jingzhou...

Jiangling.

Huan Xuan received a secret report from his cousin Huan Shisheng immediately.

However, he was somewhat at a loss because of Sima Yuanxian's decisiveness.

I always thought that the court would be on its last legs under his blockade of the Grand Canal, and with Sun En's attrition in the east, the court would surely bow down, and Huan Xuan would be able to take over Jiankang like his father Huan Wen.

Unexpectedly, Sima Yuanxian completely disregarded conventions, assembling all his forces and brazenly charging forward, determined to kill him...

"Fools! Every single member of the Sima family is a fool! Aren't they afraid of being destroyed along with everyone else?"

Even as the Governor of the Western Prefecture, Huan Xuan's power grew daily, but his temper remained unchecked. Huan Wei said, "Sima Hui and Sima Shang are both defeated opponents, but Liu Laozhi... is brave and skilled in battle, and we must be wary of him."

This was also the person who gave Huan Xuan a headache.

After Murong Chui's death, Liu Laozhi's reputation soared, and he was ostensibly becoming the greatest general in the land.

At least in Jiangzuo, they are an invincible force, commanding 20,000 elite Northern Army troops, making them the strongest army in Jiangdong.

Liu Yu defeated over 100,000 bandits with only a thousand men, making the Northern Army famous throughout the land.

Huan Xuan said helplessly, "The only option now is to hold Jiangling firmly, use the strong city to dampen the enemy's morale, and then launch a counterattack."

The Western Prefecture has been free from war for the past three years, with well-trained troops and ample supplies. Huan Zhen and Huangfu Fu have just repelled Yao Xing's invasion, and their morale is still high. There is absolutely no problem in holding Jiangling.

The strategist Bian Fanzhi urgently advised: "Absolutely not! The court has mobilized all its forces and issued proclamations to Jingzhou and Xiangyang. If we close our doors and defend ourselves, the situation will be hopeless. In my opinion, not only should we not retreat, but we should also launch a full-scale attack. Gong Yinglue's reputation is renowned throughout the land, Yuan Xian harbors resentment among the people, and Liu Laozhi sat idly by while the rebels attacked Jingkou. The people's hearts have been lost. If the army approaches the capital, the collapse of the court's armies can be expected in no time!"

This battle was not only about fighting on the battlefield, but also about the political situation and the hearts of the people.

After Sima Yuanxian came to power, he indulged in extravagance and debauchery, seized power from his biological father Sima Daozi, exiled him, and issued a decree to conscript "musical servants," resulting in corpses strewn across the eight prefectures of the Three Wu regions.

There are many people, both in and out of the government, who are dissatisfied with him.

Although Liu Laozhi was famous, in the past two years, whether he was blinded by power or senile, he made one mistake after another, even neglecting Jingkou. The generals of the Northern Army had long harbored resentment towards him.

However, despite saying that, Huan Xuan was really not confident about going head-to-head with Liu Laozhi.

Seeing that he was still hesitating, Bian Fanzhi continued to persuade him: "Liu Laozhi is fickle and a villain. Does my lord remember what happened to Wang Gong?"

“Wang Gong!” Huan Xuan’s eyes lit up.

When Wang Gong raised an army to denounce Sima Daozi, Huan Xuan also participated. How could he forget how Wang Gong was defeated?

Bian Fanzhi's eyes gleamed with a sinister light. "Liu Laozhi has been holding back his troops in Shanyin, which has long caused discord with the court. We can send He Mu to persuade him. After the matter is settled, the area east of Jiankang will belong to him, and the area west of Jiankang will belong to us. The Northern and Western armies will share power. Liu Laozhi is greedy and despicable, and he will surely agree!"

Huan Wei immediately objected, "Liu Laozhi is just a poor man from a humble family, nothing more than a dog raised by the Xie family. How dare he be ranked alongside my Huan family?"

Bian Fanzhi laughed and said, "This is just a temporary measure. If Liu Laozhi harbors any disloyalty, the Northern Army will fall into chaos, and Sima Yuanxian will be no match for the Western Army!"

"Brilliant plan, brilliant plan! If I can take control of Jiankang, Liu Laozhi will be out of his control. Immediately send He Mu to persuade Liu Laozhi!" Huan Xuan's spirits lifted.

"Sima Yuanxian, instead of resting and recuperating, has come to plot against me; he is only courting death." Every word Bian Fanzhi spoke was aimed at the heart of the court's problems.

The imperial court currently faces more hidden dangers than the Western Prefecture.

The Western Prefecture was in a state of rest and recuperation for at least three years, while the imperial court was constantly embroiled in the chaos caused by bandits and rebels.

"When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave shall prevail. I shall wager all my possessions against Sima Yuanxian! Issue the order: the army shall march east and fight to the death!" Huan Xuan was a master of dice games and was not lacking in the determination to go all in.

The armies of Jingzhou and Xiangyang rose up together and sailed down the river.

However, since they were now at odds with the imperial court, the morale of the Western Army was low and everyone was filled with fear. After all, the Western Army was the imperial court's Western Army, and although Huan Xuan had great prestige, he had only been in power for a short time and was too young.

Huan Xuan was also very worried. No matter how well the plan was made, there were too many variables. If he was not careful, he would lose everything.

The army marched from Jiangling to Xiakou, but saw no movement from the imperial army. They continued down the river to Xunyang, but the imperial army was still dragging its feet. Even Liu Laozhi reverted to his old ways and remained stationary in Liezhou.

Liu Laozhi remained inactive, and the other two groups of troops also dared not move.

"Heaven is on my side! Liu Laozhi is indeed a fool. We will surely win this battle!" Huan Xuan was overjoyed.

Without Liu Laozhi's threat, Sima Shangzhi and Sima Huizhi were both like meat on a chopping board.

"Liu Laozhi is too selfish. He was willing to defend Jingkou back then, so why would he die for Sima Yuanxian?" Bian Fanzhi's face was also flushed. Everything was within his calculations.

Xunyang is located in Jiujiang. Just one step east is Liyang, an important town in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and south of Liyang is Jiankang.

To occupy this place is to put a knife over the head of the imperial court.

At this time, the Western Army had already approached the capital region, just as Bian Fan had predicted.

As expected, the various armies of the imperial court harbored ulterior motives and all hesitated to advance.

"Report... The imperial court has sent Prince Qi, Sima Rouzhi, with a Zouyu banner, requesting that the lord withdraw his troops!" a military officer reported.

The Zouyu is an ancient benevolent beast with the body of a tiger and the head of a lion, with white fur and black stripes. It is kind by nature and will not even trample on the grass. It will not eat anything that has died of its own accord.

Sima Yuanxian sent someone to deliver a Zouyu banner, signifying that the two sides would cease hostilities.

He started the war on a whim, but now he's backing down.

"Isn't it too late to seek peace now?" Huan Xuan laughed loudly on the deck of the warship. He suddenly waved his sleeve and pointed to the vast expanse of warships on the river. "Sima Yuanxian can surrender by binding himself, and I will show him leniency and spare his life."

Bian Fanzhi suddenly shouted, "The court has surrendered to our lord!"

The guards around him also joined in the shouting.

In an instant, the morale of the soldiers in the Western Garrison soared, shouting, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The roar on the river was like thunder, and on the bank, infantry and cavalry stood in rows, their armor gleaming in the sun, their swords and spears like a forest, and they also cheered together.

(End of this chapter)