Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 280 Discussion

The fewer words, the bigger the matter.

It seems Huan Xuan is getting serious.

“General Sun is a man of great principle, perhaps…” Dai Qi’s eyes darted around.

Liu Daogui glared at him. "I brought them back, and now I'm sending their heads back. How am I supposed to stay in the Northern Prefecture after this?"

Liu Zun said, "Why not just find a head, put on some makeup, and send it up to complete the task? Would Huan Xuan really send anyone to investigate?"

"You're oversimplifying things. Does Huan Xuan want General Sun's head? He wants me to bow down to him and cut us off from the Northern Army! Once you send his head up, he'll spread the word. What face will our Jianwei Military Command have left in the Northern Army?"

People cannot stand without faith.

The Northern Prefecture desperately needs someone who can handle things.

"Then what should we do?" Liu Zun asked, his eyes wide.

"When water comes, we'll dam it with earth; when soldiers come, we'll block them with generals. Summon all the generals for a military meeting!"

No matter what, let's get everyone on the same page first.

The lesson from Sima Yuanxian and Liu Laozhi is that one must never make the wrong move at a crucial moment; once a move is made, there should be no regrets.

Two days later, Liu Guangzhi, Wang Yuande, Mao Dezhu, Liu Zhong and others came to Pengcheng from various counties.

Liu Xuanzhi, Sun Wuzhong, Liu Cuitan, Daoji, and Xiao Chengzhi were present as observers, while Gao Xun, Liu Muzhi, and Xiao Mozhi were the scribes.

Shen Qingzhi, Cao Yun, and Liu Huaijing held halberds.

Over the years, Liu Daogui's forces have become rich with talented individuals.

Sun Wuzhong, with a fiery temper, said with unwavering resolve, "If the Commander can avenge my family, why should I hesitate to give up my head? Take it! But I hope the Commander will look after my worthless descendants. If things are successful in the future, please burn a few more incense sticks for me!"

Liu Daogui said firmly, "General Sun, what are you saying? Since I dared to bring you here, I would never do anything unjust!"

Liu Guangzhi said, "Even if the governor hands over General Sun, Huan Xuan will not let it go, and sooner or later we will meet in arms."

"The Northern Prefecture is the foundation of the Governor-General's power; how can he sever his own foundation?"

"That's right, we'll have to fight sooner or later, so we might as well prepare early. Huan Xuan's entry into Jiankang was due to the incompetence of Sima Yuanxian and Liu Laozhi. They had 20,000 elite troops and 60,000 to 70,000 men, and even had a legitimate reason to surrender, yet they surrendered without a fight!"

While Sima Yuanxian was still leading troops to resist at the front, the emperor and the court in the rear issued an edict to surrender to Huan Xuan...

It can only be said that Sima Yuanxian was too young and didn't think things through before acting.

And then there's Liu Laozhi, who didn't fire a single arrow or send out a single soldier.

They watched as Huan Xuan entered Jiankang.

"When Huan Xuan encounters my Jianwei Army, I will make sure he knows what's what."

Everyone was excitedly chatting and laughing.

Liu Zun, his tongue slurring, exclaimed, "What are we waiting for? Let's storm Jiankang now, destroy Huan Xuan, and take the throne from the Huan family!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

These people are all martial artists; they are naturally tougher.

Most of them were northern martial artists and members of the Liu clan.

Huan Xuan entered Jiankang with far too much ease, encountering almost no resistance and not a single bloody battle, which made everyone aware of the court's weakness.

If Huan Xuan can do it, others can too.

However, it is too early to say such things now. Liu Daogui was not blinded by greed. The reason why he won so easily was because of the Huan family's management over generations. Moreover, the Huan family itself was a high-ranking family, and they compromised with the Sima, Wang, Xie, and Yin families.

Mao Dezhu, who had been silent all along, coughed a few times and cupped his hands to Liu Daogui, saying, "The advantage of Xifu lies in its navy. Our army is advancing south against the current. Xifu's navy only needs to block the Yangtze River, and it will be difficult for our army to break through."

The Yangtze River flows from west to east, while the Hangou Canal flows from south to north.

The navy was originally an advantage for the Western Prefecture, and Huan Xuan also occupied the advantageous position of the upstream area. Moreover, Huan Xuan was not in Jiankang at the moment, but in Gushu.

Taking Jiankang does not mean that the Western Prefecture has been controlled.

When the Jin dynasty moved south, it built fifty-six additional gates along the existing walls of the former capital of Eastern Wu, taking advantage of the terrain.

To the north are Baishilei (Baixia) and Fuzhoushan; to the south is the relocated Langya County City; to the west is Shitou City; to the southwest are Yecheng and Xizhou City; to the southeast is Dongfu City; and to the south is Danyang County City, all heavily fortified. The location is strategically advantageous and well-defended.

Given this situation, Liu Daogui's southward march had virtually no chance of success.

The small force they had was no match for the Western Army.

Although we have confidence in the fighting strength of Jianwei Central Army, we cannot always rely on winning with fewer troops.

If we send troops first, it will be considered a rebellion.

Arms fighting is the worst possible course of action.

After everyone had finished their discussion, Liu Daogui said, "I will submit a memorial to plead for General Sun and clear his name. I will say that General Sun participated in the Battle of Fei River and the Northern Expedition, and then went south to fight the rebels. He was loyal to the court. I, Liu Daogui, am willing to guarantee that he is not a traitor!"

Wang Yuande said, "I'm afraid Huan Xuan will use this as an excuse..."

“At least not for now.” Liu Daogui offered Huan Xuan a way out.

His execution of the Northern Army generals was inherently illegitimate and unjustified.

Liu Daogui's memorial was, in effect, a way of binding himself with Sun Wuzhong and even the Northern Army.

If you, Huan Xuan, are unwilling to back down and insist on taking action against Sun Wuzhong, then come find me, Liu Daogui.

Fighting a major battle on the Yangtze River is completely different from fighting a battle on the Huai and Si Rivers.

The Huai and Si regions had been consolidated into a single, impenetrable territory. Unless Huan Xuan mobilized his entire force, sending anyone to the front would be suicidal. Liu Daogui, being far removed from the court in the Huai and Si regions, ironically became Huan Xuan's greatest asset.

Unless Huan Xuan is stupid, he won't go to extremes.

"I, Sun Wuzhong, will never forget the great kindness of the Governor!" Sun Wuzhong was moved to tears again.

"It would be too formal to say such things. I not only want to seek justice for General Sun, but also to vindicate the Northern Army."

Liu Dao set the tone for this military meeting; everything else was just minor details.

After discussing for half an hour, the meeting ended.

However, Liu Muzhi stayed behind and advised him privately: "Huan Xuan is eccentric and impetuous in his youth. He cannot be judged by ordinary standards. We should write to General Jianwu. If we can defeat the rebels and greatly increase our prestige, Huan Xuan will be shaken and dare not act recklessly."

It was indeed quite difficult for one person to deal with Huan Xuan; it would have been much easier if his elder brother Liu Yu had joined in.

Liu Daogui thought for a moment, "Shouldn't my brother be supporting an enemy to maintain his own importance at this time?"

"Given the current situation, the two brothers, the governors, are in the eye of the storm, and their every move is under scrutiny. How can they allow a bandit to grow stronger? Moreover, the three Wu regions and eight counties have been abandoned for a long time, lacking food and soldiers, making development difficult. It would be better to return to Jingkou as soon as possible, as Jingkou is the foundation of the Northern Army!"

The Three Wu and Eight Counties have been abolished. If Liu Yu wins a great victory and returns to Jingkou, he will surely gain the support of the Northern Army generals.

"Brother Liu's considerations are indeed thorough."

Liu Daogui personally wrote a secret letter and instructed Meng Ganzhi to send it to Linhai by fast horse.

The military government was largely in agreement; none of them wanted to bow down to Huan Xuan.

Huan Xuan dug up Liu Lao's tomb, beheaded him, and exposed his corpse, which stung all the veterans of the Northern Army and almost slapped the face of the entire Northern Army.

Death is a major event; once someone dies, the matter is over.

Huan Xuan's relentless pursuit only proved his narrow-mindedness and his attitude towards the Northern Army.

Therefore, the soldiers had little expectation of the imperial court.

The current imperial court has no authority whatsoever, and even several powerful clans in Pengcheng have firmly sided with Liu Daogui, sending their sons into the army.

And you know what? These martial arts disciples are all skilled in archery and horsemanship, and they can also read and write. They are exactly the kind of talents that are in dire need.

Liu Daogui specially recruited them into his personal guard, keeping them by his side to build relationships and also to discover some talented individuals.

The practice of producing both honest and corrupt officials among aristocratic families was intended to pave a shortcut for their descendants, ensuring their perpetual wealth and status, but it ultimately led to the decline of the aristocratic class.

On the contrary, many talented people emerge from humble backgrounds and commoner families.

Liu Muzhi, Liu Guangzhi, Liu Zhong, Liu Cui, Tan Daoji, Shen Qingzhi, Xiao Chengzhi, and so on, were all like this. In terms of talent, those who held high positions in the imperial court could not even catch up with them.

The contest between Liu Daogui and Huan Xuan was essentially a challenge launched by a poor family against a wealthy family.

Everything in Huai and Si remains the same, with preparations underway for this year's spring plowing while also actively preparing for war.

The counties of Shanyang, Taishan, Dongping, and Jiyin were bustling with activity. Liu Daogui kept his word, distributing land and houses to the relocated people and exempting them from land taxes for three years, which stimulated their enthusiasm.

A large number of spies and scouts were transferred to Jiankang, and Huan Xuan's every move was under Liu Daogui's watchful eye.

Jiankang was given a new leader, but just like before, nothing changed, and everything was extremely inefficient.

The memorial was sent half a month ago, and not even a ripple has been made.

Huan Xuan was busy with his ascension to the title of Duke of Chu and seemed to have forgotten about this matter.

However, the veteran generals of the Northern Army in Guangling and Jingkou had either left or died, and the Northern Army was almost completely wiped out, with most of them transferred to Jiankang.

"Huan Xuan must be digesting the Northern Army!" Gao Xun's expression turned grave after reading the intelligence.

"There's no need to make a fuss. Unless he moves his headquarters to Jingkou, the Northern Army won't be at his disposal!" Liu Daogui had been in Jingkou for so many years and understood the soldiers' thoughts very well.

The gap between the Western Prefecture and the Northern Prefecture is like that between a noble family and a poor family.

Add to that regional discrimination, and it's not something that can be bridged in a short time.

Moreover, Huan Xuan neither distributed land nor paid soldiers, so how could his soldiers possibly risk their lives for him?

"Governor, a secret letter from Guangling!" Shen Qingzhi entered, holding the letter in his hand.

Liu Daogui opened it, and it turned out to be Liu Yi's.

It contained a bunch of nonsensical ramblings, such as that we are all of the same lineage as the Han Dynasty and that we were one family seven hundred years ago.

This made Liu Daogui think that he was there to curry favor.

After reading it, Gao Xun laughed and said, "This fellow is still alive and kicking."

"His elder brother Liu Mai joined the Huan family and was highly valued, so of course he was lively and energetic."

Liu Yi is good at networking and has a wide network of connections.

"So what does this letter mean? Is he acting as an intermediary for Huan Xuan?"

“He won’t be loyal to anyone. The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. This fellow’s sense of smell is quite extraordinary.” Liu Daogui chuckled.

Liu Yixin didn't say anything, but his intentions were obvious; he was testing the waters.

He was also a member of the Northern Army, and the cavalry under his command certainly didn't get along with Huan Xuan.

Huan Xuan's alliance with powerful aristocratic families inevitably led to the exclusion of commoner military men.

"If he wants to cause trouble, let him. Let's wait and see." Liu Daogui lit the letter on fire.

The flames flickered and gradually turned into ashes.

(End of this chapter)