Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 285

Liu Yuan's recognition of Liu Bang as his ancestor was, in effect, a process of assimilation by the Xiongnu people.

The Southern Xiongnu migrated to the north during the Former Han Dynasty, and Dou Xian's inscription on Yanran Mountain is partly due to their contributions.

"General, you are too polite. Please rise. With your help, victory in this battle is assured!"

The man immediately performed a grand salute, leaving Liu Daogui somewhat bewildered.

"The governor distributed land, houses, and even women to the people of all ethnic groups. I have long admired him, but I regret that I was in the enemy camp and had no chance to join his ranks. I have only just seen it today!"

Aside from his somewhat coarse appearance, Huyan Ting's speech and mannerisms were similar to those of the Jin people.

After he said that, Liu Daogui understood.

The Xiongnu people were also human beings; they needed to eat, drink, and survive. In those days, the allure of land was simply too great.

"It's not too late today, let's go, let's drink until we drop with General Huyan!" Liu Daogui grabbed his hand to show his closeness.

Hu Yanting's eyes lit up, "We won't leave until we're drunk!"

As Liu Daogui and Huyan Ting walked and talked, they learned that Nanyang had been a granary since ancient times. The city had as many as 20,000 people of various ethnic groups, 90,000 shi of grain in the treasury, 200,000 strings of cash in money, silk, gold and silver, and more than 30,000 head of livestock.

"The city originally had 400,000 shi of grain, 900 warhorses, and more than 100,000 livestock, but unfortunately, they were all transferred to Xiangcheng by Yao Shuode." Two generations of Huyan Ting's troops settled here.

Previously, he was a county magistrate in the Di-Qin state and received favors from Fu Jian.

Yao Chang murdered Fu Jian, so they didn't think much of the Yao Qin dynasty.

Yao Shuode, who was stationed in Guandong, also exploited them to the extreme. Not only did they have to hand over their livestock, but they also ordered each household to send one able-bodied man to resist the Jin army.

Hu Yanting complained that it wasn't enough, but Liu Daogui was very satisfied.

Money and grain were one thing, but the real problem was the more than 20,000 people, plus another 20,000 slave households under their rule, more than 30,000 head of livestock, and wheat fields outside the city—all of which represented a great fortune.

This was the first time Liu Daogui had ever eaten such a large piece of meat in all his years of life.

"What is Yao Shuode's military strategy like?" Liu Daogui changed the subject.

Huyan Ting thought for a moment and said, "This man's military tactics are conventional. Apart from Yao Xing, the Yao family has become worse with each generation. Guanzhong is not like Guandong, where warlords are divided. The Qiang people are strong, which is why we are where we are today."

Liu Daogui thought about it and agreed. In recent years, Guandong had produced people such as Murong Chui, Tuoba Gui, Murong De, Xie Xuan, and Liu Laozhi, but Guanzhong had not produced any outstanding figures.

Yao Chang and his son Yao Xing fought a protracted war for over a decade before finally outliving Fu Deng.

The advantage of Guanzhong lies in this: by guarding Tongguan, Hulao, and Wuguan, it can close its doors and live its own life.

Before they even reached the government office, Meng Ganzhi caught up with them, his face grave. "Governor, Protector Liu... is seriously injured..."

"What?" Liu Daogui was shocked. Liu Zun was practically his younger brother, and they had grown up together since childhood.

His fighting skills were quite good; he was actually seriously injured...

"Where are the people? What are the casualties?"

There were no casualties during the siege, but the ambushers suffered casualties.

Meng Gan said, "The people have been carried back and are being treated. Deputy General Liu Huaijing and others led thirty elite soldiers to urge the soldiers to fight a bloody battle, and only then did they drive back the enemy. More than two hundred people were killed in action, and the wounded were countless."

Two hundred elite troops were wiped out in one battle, and Liu Daogui felt a pang of heartache.

However, anything can happen on the battlefield.

There are always stronger hands among the strong; heroes and outstanding figures emerge in the South, and the same is true in the North.

Huyan Ting said, "It must have been Liu Bobo's doing. This thief is a remnant of the Tiefu tribe. He is cruel, cunning, brave and skilled in battle, and extremely adept at commanding troops. Several days ago, he repeatedly suggested that Yao Shuode strengthen the defenses of Wancheng. Fortunately, the governor acted faster than him."

"Liu Bobo?" Liu Daogui silently memorized the name. He was quite capable to have defeated Liu Zun.

Liu Zun was seriously injured, with six or seven arrows stuck in his body and a spear in his back. However, he was lucky to be alive, as he was strong and wearing iron armor. Although his injuries were severe, they were not fatal.

"That fellow is incredibly cunning. I managed to drive him back, but he suddenly returned. I wasn't paying attention and almost got ambushed..."

Liu Daogui understood. Liu Bobo had been ambushed and suffered losses, yet he was still able to gather his men and kill Liu Zun unexpectedly. This man's ability to command troops was quite formidable.

The last person to achieve this was Murong Chui.

In the Battle of Linzhang, despite being defeated twice by Liu Laozhi, they were still able to regroup and fight again...

“He has cavalry, so he can come and go as he pleases. You are just an infantryman, so naturally you are no match for him,” Liu Daogui comforted him.

Liu Zun's face turned pale. "If I ever run into this bastard again, I'll definitely cut him into a thousand pieces."

Several doctors cleaned his wounds, applied medicine, stitched them up, and bandaged them. He gritted his teeth and remained silent.

During the late Han and Wei-Jin periods, amidst the raging wars, medical techniques developed rapidly, and this wound-suturing technique was widely used in the military.

Seeing that he was alright, Liu Daogui was relieved and instructed the doctor to take good care of him before going to drink with Huyan Ting.

Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; no one can win every battle.

Murong Chui was a hero his entire life, never having suffered a defeat, but Murong Bao of Canhebei paid him back in one fell swoop...

Taking Wancheng was like planting a thorn in Yao Shuode's side.

Liu Daogui ignored the Qin army in the north and ordered Xiao Chengzhi and Huyan Ting to lead their troops to attack other cities in Nanyang. At this time, the cities were unaware that Wancheng had changed hands.

Huyan Ting feigned an attack on the city, and Xiao Chengzhi led his army in. The two cooperated and swept through the Nanyang garrison.

More than 7,000 people were captured, and 70,000 shi of grain and 40,000 head of livestock were seized in Rangcheng.

When Yao Xing went south, most of the refugees from Nanyang followed him back to Guanzhong.

Even a fly is still meat, and seven thousand prisoners are not a small number.

Within half a month, all the cities except Xinye, a key town, had been captured. This city was the front line for defending against the Western Army, and each garrison had gathered nearly 10,000 elite troops with ample supplies, leaving Liu Daogui with no way to deal with it for the time being.

Before the battle had even begun, Liu Daogui was already eating with gusto.

With Nanyang captured, Yao Shuode in the north was caught in a pincer attack, rendering the Rushui defense line ineffective and plunging him into panic.

Gao Xun exclaimed excitedly, "Now that Nanyang has been captured, we can take advantage of the situation to seize Hongnong and cut off Yao Shuode's retreat!"

"Yao Xing and Tuoba Gui have hundreds of thousands of troops facing each other in Hedong. If I send troops to attack Hongnong, it will distract Yao Xing and we will be attacked from three sides by the Qin army. Too much is as bad as too little. Hongnong is too far from the Huai and Si Rivers, and we cannot stand firm."

Governing a country and waging war are like cooking a small fish; the timing and intensity are crucial.

While the states of Qin and Wei were locked in a bitter struggle, Liu Daogui simply watched from the sidelines.

If Wei is defeated, Liu Daogui can return to prepare for an attack on Hebei.

If the Qin state is defeated, these counties in the Central Plains will not be spared.

Moreover, they also had to guard against Huan Xuan's underhanded tactics. If Huan Xuan really attacked Pengcheng, Liu Daogui's foundation would be destroyed.

"The Governor is absolutely right," Gao Xun said with admiration.

"Submit a memorial to Huan Xuan, saying that we have suffered heavy casualties and urgently need supplies of food, weapons and other necessities."

“This…” Gao Xun’s face was full of strange expressions.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "My battle has paved the way for him to become king. It's not unreasonable for him to ask for some money and provisions, is it?"

Besides asking for money, it's also a way to give him a heads-up and dissuade him from stabbing him in the back.

Gao Xun also laughed, "That's not excessive, asking for too little. At least it should be the military governor of Yan and Yu provinces, and the general who guards the north."

"Huan Xuan is as stingy as a ghost and has always looked down on people from poor families. How could he be so generous?"

Nanyang and Wuchang are separated by only a few mountains. Seven days later, Huan Xuan's military order arrived again.

Just as Liu Daogui had expected, he was given a few words of praise but nothing in return. He was even asked to go south and join him in attacking Xinye.

Cao Wei once established the Jiangbei Governor-General in Xinye to defend against the Wu army in Wuchang, and appointed important generals such as Wang Chang and Wang Ji to govern it.

The city's defenses were no less formidable than those of Wancheng, and the defending general, Yao Ping, was Yao Xing's cousin, a tough nut to crack.

Liu Daogui had never been interested in attacking cities by force, as the casualties were too great.

Xinye was a nail driven into Xifu's head, not into their own.

"Reply with a letter stating that my troops have suffered heavy casualties, the soldiers are weary of war and unable to fight any longer, Yao Shuode is preparing for war in the north and may march south at any time, and the Xinye troops number less than 10,000. Please, Lord Chu, find a solution yourself."

Without a single grain of rice or a single penny, how could Liu Daogui possibly risk his life for him?

If they were to march south, Huan Xuan would definitely make him his vanguard...

Out of sight, out of mind; it's best not to go.

Liu Daogui remained unmoved, Huan Xuan remained unmoved, and Yao Shuode remained unmoved as well.

The situation remained deadlocked, with everyone waiting for the north to decide the outcome. Liu Daogui also focused his attention on the north.

In July, Tuoba Gui led an army of 60,000 to Pingyang and besieged Chaibi.

After learning that Yao Ping was trapped in Chaibi, Yao Xing sent troops to transport grain from the Fenshui ferry to support Yao Ping.

However, Tuoba Gui dug several layers of fortifications, preventing the Qin army from transporting its supplies.

Unable to advance, Yao Xing led 47,000 troops to Puban, but fearing the strength of the Wei army, he hesitated to move forward and delayed for a long time before finally advancing. However, the Wei state had anticipated his mistake and was caught in a trap.

Tuoba Gui personally led 30,000 infantry and cavalry to attack the Qin army south of Mengkeng, killing more than a thousand of them.

Yao Xing retreated more than forty li and dared not advance any further.

Although it was only a brief skirmish, it exposed the true strengths and weaknesses of both countries.

Qin was stronger than Wei, but Yao Xing hesitated and dared not fight to the death. Tuoba Gui, on the other hand, personally led his army to charge ahead. Although Qin was weaker, it was highly aggressive and suppressed the Qin army on the battlefield.

Yao Xing's performance was far inferior to Tuoba Gui's. In a close contest, the brave prevail. Yao Xing's reluctance to advance was tantamount to admitting defeat.

Huyan Ting's assessment of the Qin state was too conservative.

Even Yao Xing was all show and no substance. Despite having the advantage of terrain and striking first, he was still overwhelmed by the Wei army.

After this battle, Liu Daogui vaguely sensed that the outcome was already decided, and Tuoba Gui had become the new hegemon of the Northern Kingdom.

Yao Xing dared not engage in a decisive battle, and Yao Ping, trapped in Chaibi, was doomed to die.

Liu Daogui is preparing to advance his troops into Xiangcheng County.

Mao Dezhu advised, "Yao Shuode is experienced and prudent. Qin's morale has been dampened by this defeat, and Xiangcheng is indefensible. It would be better to send a letter to him, ordering him to withdraw his troops."

This confrontation between Chai Bi and others was no small matter.

Yao Xing dared not fight, which essentially led to his defeat, and also interrupted the rise of the Qin state.

These counties in the Central Plains will inevitably be unable to hold out.

Liu Daogui followed his advice, "Send a letter to Yao Shuode, I will give him ten days to return to Guanzhong. After ten days, I will gather 100,000 troops from the Central Plains and attack from both the north and south. Let him think twice!"

If Yao Shuode withdraws his troops now, he can still preserve the vitality of the Qin state.

If he waits until Wei and Qin determine the final victor, he won't be able to retreat even if he wants to.

(End of this chapter)