Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 293 Danger

With Gao Xun and Shen Qingzhi in charge, along with Liu Zhong's navy, Murong Zhen and Murong Zhong were gradually suppressed, and the various schools achieved greater and greater victories.

Boatloads of prisoners, cattle, sheep, and grain were transported back to Pengcheng.

Not only did Liu, Tan, Xu, and Zhao, the Wuzong rulers, make a fortune, but the slave households also got a big bite of the pie.

Although there were some casualties, they accepted their losses and no one complained about Wu Tuoling; they only blamed their bad luck.

These casualties are nothing to them, as long as they can make money.

The fierce battle between Liu Daogui and Murong De sent a chill down the spines of the Wei Kingdom to the north. Yu Yue and Da Xijin of Wei gathered tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry in the north, ready to march south at any moment.

Yu Yue sent his younger brother Yu Hechen to discuss a pincer attack on Southern Yan.

"Murong De is quite ambitious. If our army joins forces with the commander-in-chief and attacks from three sides, the Yan Kingdom will surely be destroyed!"

This Yu is not the same as that Yu; he was a member of the Xianbei Yu clan, who was deeply favored by Tuoba Gui and appointed as a high-ranking official in the outer court, advising him on important military and national affairs, and frequently sent on diplomatic missions to foreign countries.

Liu Daogui gave Dai Qizhi a wink, and Dai Qizhi asked, "May I ask you, sir, how will the border be divided after the destruction of Yan?"

Yu Hechen said, “My brother and General Daxi can join forces and send out 60,000 infantry and cavalry. After the mission is accomplished, the area south of Mount Tai will belong to the Governor-General, and the area north of it will belong to me.”

The most important areas of the Southern Yan Kingdom were all north of Mount Tai.

He was so greedy, he wouldn't even give Liu Daogui a drop of soup.

Dai Qizhi sneered, "The area south of Mount Tai was originally the territory of the Jin Dynasty, which was seized by Murong De. Even without your army, we could have taken it."

"Your Excellency is unaware that Murong De's troops are all elite forces of Yan, and their strength is formidable. Without our restraint, I'm afraid the Commander-in-Chief will not be able to recover the counties of Langya so easily. After destroying Yan, the money and silk will be given to the Commander-in-Chief; we only want the cities and people."

Although Yu Hechen was a Xianbei, he was sharp-tongued and extremely shrewd.

Or rather, arrogant and domineering.

Negotiations are always based on national strength.

After winning the Battle of Canhebei and the Battle of Chaibi, the State of Wei became the undisputed hegemon of the North.

Tuoba Gui led his troops north and once again defeated the Rouran, capturing and killing more than 7,000 people and seizing nearly 100,000 cattle and sheep. The northern desert was not like the central plains. The annihilation of 7,000 warriors would have taken five or six years for a nomadic state to recover.

"How about splitting the city's population in half?" Dai Qi's suggestion lacked confidence.

Yu Hechen chuckled coldly twice, offering no reply, but instead looked at Liu Daogui, "What does the Commander-in-Chief think?"

Such negotiations are doomed to fail.

Liu Daogui chuckled twice. “You’ve misunderstood. I have no blood feud with Nan Yan. As neighbors, it’s common for us to bicker. Why go and wipe out someone else’s entire family? We’ll discuss this later. See you out.”

Yu Hechen was taken aback, "Governor..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Daogui had already turned and left.

Liu Muzhi caught up with him, saying, "Judging from the envoy's expression, we should still be able to talk."

"You're wrong. This kind of thing can't be discussed, and there's no need to discuss it. If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If Southern Yan is gone, we'll have to face Wei head-on, and the pressure will only be greater then."

They had hoped that the Rouran could hold off Tuoba Gui for a year or two, but they hadn't expected them to be so easily broken.

Now that Tuoba Gui has dealt with the Rouran, his next target might just be the Central Plains.

“The governor’s words are true. Tuoba Gui’s power is no less than that of Murong Chui back then. Once he unifies Hebei, he will surely drink from the Yellow River and look south to the Central Plains.”

Since Tuoba Gui raised his army at Niuchuan, everything went smoothly for him, as if he had divine assistance. In just a few years, he rose to become the overlord of the north.

The threat from Wei was far greater than that from Southern Yan.

"Slow and steady wins the race. There's plenty of time ahead. Order all the garrisons to halt their military operations here and withdraw their troops."

The Southern Yan cannot collapse now, and Liu Daogui is not capable of bringing it down.

Although the three armies in Xudong achieved considerable success, they did not fundamentally damage the Yan state, and did not even touch the outskirts of major cities such as Kaiyang and Tancheng.

Murong Town has already fortified itself and scorched the earth; there's no point in continuing the fight.

Liu Daogui returned to Pengcheng from Licheng, and the various Wu Tuo armies returned one after another.

Faced with immense pressure from the Wei state, the Yan army did not engage in further conflict, and peace was restored on both sides.

Daxi Jin led 10,000 cavalry south to attack Pingyuan County, while Murong De personally led 20,000 infantry and cavalry to garrison Gaotang, remaining inactive.

Daxi Jin also remained inactive in Anling, while Yu Yue's 50,000 infantry and cavalry were held back.

This action left Liu Daogui feeling bewildered.

Logically speaking, the two sides should have been at each other's throats long ago, and Yu Yue had been planning for a long time. They should have fought fiercely as soon as they met, but unexpectedly, both sides were quiet, as if they were waiting for something.

However, this did not stop Liu Daogui from watching the spectacle.

Yu Yue's 60,000 infantry and cavalry were not enough to destroy Southern Yan unless Tuoba Gui led the entire army of the country.

Time passed day by day, and before we knew it, it was June.

Yu Yue neither engaged in battle nor withdrew his troops, and the standoff continued.

"Could it be that this is draining the nation's resources?" Liu Zun's injuries had completely healed, and he was as lively and energetic as before.

Liu Daogui said, "Since Tuoba Gui raised his army, when has he ever wasted the nation's strength with anyone? He just said a few words and then led hundreds of thousands of troops to attack."

Gao Xun said, "Could it be a feint, with Wei's true intention being to attack Northern Yan?"

After Murong Sheng killed Lan Khan and reclaimed the throne, he attacked Goguryeo, captured important towns such as Xincheng and Nansu, and relocated more than 5,000 households to western Liaoning. Later, he defeated the Kumoxi and captured more than 40,000 head of livestock.

Internally, he quelled the rebellion of the imperial clan, slaughtered the sons of Murong Ke and Murong Long, and stabilized imperial power.

However, due to his harsh, arrogant, tyrannical, and ingratitude rule, rebellions broke out one after another in the country.

When Duan Ji, Qin Xing, Duan Tai and others rebelled, Murong Sheng led his confidants to quell the rebellion. He was ambushed and wounded, and died from his injuries. He then passed the throne to his uncle, Murong Xi, the Duke of Hejian.

With a new emperor ascending the throne, the people of the country are in turmoil.

Murong Xi was no saint either. He had an affair with his elder sister-in-law, Empress Dowager Ding, and gained her support to ascend to the throne. This affair was common knowledge throughout Yan. "There's a chance. Let's wait and see."

Liu Daogui, minding his own business, simply watched the spectacle.

As long as the Southern Yan dynasty doesn't fall, that's fine.

"Report—General, the King of Chu has raised an army of 70,000 in Jiankang and announced to the world that he is going to launch a northern expedition against Southern Yan!" Meng Ganzhi rushed over in a panic.

His words were like a bolt from the blue.

Liu Daogui's eyes were fixed on the north, but he never expected that something would happen in the south...

However, it makes sense when you think about it. Wei had sent envoys to Jiankang before, and the two countries were still in a friendly state. Yu Yue's attempt to persuade Liu Daogui to send troops failed, so he naturally turned to Huan Xuan.

Huan Xuan was lacking military merit, and he took the final step in usurping the throne...

Liu Muzhi quickly asked, "Is he marching towards Shouchun or Xiapi?"

If they advance on Xiapi, it means they are aiming to reclaim Langya in the East Sea.

If it's Shouchun, then they're coming for Pengcheng.

Shouchun is located just behind Pengcheng, south of the Huai River. Huan Xuan's 70,000-strong army will be positioned behind them, while Liu Daogui will lead the charge.

It doesn't matter if they're at the forefront, the real fear is that once Liu Daogui leaves, he'll seize the opportunity to take over Pengcheng...

"Shouchun!"

"Damn it!" Liu Daogui couldn't help but curse. Huan Xuan was trying to kill two birds with one stone.

He's been king for less than five months, and he's already causing trouble again.

Liu Daogui never expected that he and Murong De would be back-to-back, facing the threat of Wei Chu at the same time.

Pengcheng is situated between the north and south, which has determined its current situation.

“Perhaps… the King of Chu did not intend this?” Dai Qizhi said hesitantly.

Liu Daogui scoffed, "Do you believe that if someone tells you that?"

Dai Qizhi gave a dry laugh and said nothing more.

Sure enough, Huan Xuan's edict arrived the next day, ordering Liu Daogui to send troops to attack Qingzhou. He was to lead troops to recover the three counties east of Xuzhou, and Huan Xuan promised to appoint Liu Daogui as the Northern Army Commander after the success of the campaign...

The remains of Liu Laozhi, the previous governor of the Northern Army, are still hanging on the White Tiger Gate in Jiankang.

Liu Muzhi asked, "Whom did Huan Xuan bring this time?"

"More than 30,000 elite troops from the Western Prefecture, 17,000 naval troops from the Western Prefecture, and 10,000 troops from the Northern Prefecture! The vanguard is led by Huangfu Fu and Wu Fuzhi, the naval commander Guo Quan, and the generals of the central army are Fu Hong and Huan Xiu. On the western route, Feng Gai, the governor of Yongzhou, leads 10,000 elite troops north to Runan County."

Huan Xuan has deployed his most elite forces this time.

The reported troop strength is all actual, without a single lie...

"Damn it, let's just strike first and fight them. Whether we win or lose is still uncertain." Liu Zun's temper flared up.

If you don't resist, you're definitely going to die. It's too late to become a dog now.

Huan Xuan was petty and narrow-minded; the way he dealt with Liu Laozhi would be the same way he would deal with himself later.

Sun Wuzhong said, "If I and the Commander-in-Chief give a shout on the battlefield, these 10,000 Northern Army soldiers will surely defect on the spot, which will be enough to give Huan Xuan a hard time!"

Liu Daogui shook his head. "It's no use. If you can think of it, Huan Xuan can naturally think of it too. Don't forget, Huan Xuan moved the families of these Northern Army soldiers to Jiankang to prevent them from defecting in the face of battle."

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

Liu Daogui rubbed his forehead. Things weren't actually that serious yet. Even if they were to raise an army in rebellion, they should remain calm. "First, offer persuasion, then resort to force. Submit a memorial stating that the time is not yet ripe to attack Yan, and that once Yan falls, Wei will surely sweep south. There are no natural defenses in the Central Plains. We urge the King of Chu to wait two years, accumulate provisions, and conserve his strength before heading north to contend with the enemy. Otherwise, we will repeat the shame of the Ba River and the defeat at Fangtou!"

Huan Wen prepared for more than a decade and launched three northern expeditions, suffering two disastrous defeats.

Huan Xuan had been in power in Jiankang for less than two years when he was eager to launch a northern expedition.

Of course, his intention to launch a northern expedition against Southern Yan may not be true, but his desire to eliminate his own people is definitely real.

That's why Liu Daogui spoke more harshly: the shame of Ba River and the defeat at Fangtou meant that Huan Wen never received the Nine Bestowments throughout his life and died with resentment.

If Huan Xuan wants to fight, then bring it on!
"We can forge an imperial edict, enumerate Huan Xuan's evil deeds and his ambition to usurp the throne, and call upon the armies of the world to join forces against him!" Dai Qizhi offered a treacherous plan.

Liu Daogui thought for a moment and said, "This plan is feasible. You go and prepare a powerful edict, and when Huan Xuan arrives, we will read it aloud to the soldiers in front of the battle lines."

Huan Xuan's usurpation of the throne was supported by powerful clans and noble families, but few people would follow suit.

But ordinary gentry wouldn't care about these things, especially the Northern Army. They didn't expect them to defect on the battlefield; they just wanted them to lose their composure.

If the name is not legitimate, the words will not be proper. As long as the charges of Huan Xuan's rebellion and usurpation are confirmed, the morale of the enemy can be damaged.

"Each army is ready to advance and prepare for battle." Liu Daogui actually had some expectations for this battle.

If you win on the battlefield, you'll have everything.

Although the Western Army was strong, his own troops were not weak either.

Everyone dispersed.

Liu Daogui stared at the map, planning how to fight this battle.

Shouchun was also a fortified city, situated behind the Huai and Si rivers, giving it a geographical advantage.

The only breakthrough point was the 10,000 Northern Army soldiers, who were of the same lineage as him and shared a bond of kinship.

And what about his elder brother Liu Yu? He doesn't know what situation he's in now.

However, these days, everything is done one step at a time.

"Commander, General Jianwu has sent a secret letter." At this moment, Shen Qingzhi, who was on duty, reported from outside.

"Brother?"

(End of this chapter)