Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 294 Please

On the Ruxu River, a thousand sails stand in competition.

A large naval force headed towards Shouchun.

The weather in July was unbearably hot, not a good time to go to war. The soldiers on the deck, wearing armor and covered in sweat, stood motionless under the scorching sun.

The second-floor pavilion on the ship was cool and refreshing.

Inside the hut stood a bronze cauldron, its contents emitting a chilling fumes from the ice blocks.

Huan Xuan was obese and extremely sensitive to heat, so he always kept ice on hand to cool down.

On the table, a white jade plate holds lush green grapes, and a crystal glass contains chilled syrup.

The Book of Songs, in the section on the Odes of Bin, says: "On the second day, they chisel the ice with a rushing sound; on the third day, they store it in the ice cellar."

Wealthy families would cut ice in the twelfth and first months of the lunar calendar and store it in a dark room to cool off in the summer of the following year.

Huan Xuan was a man who knew how to enjoy life. After becoming the King of Chu, he indulged in extravagance and luxury, and his food, clothing and daily necessities were all magnificent.

"Ji Nu, this Northern Expedition depends entirely on you. If we can destroy Southern Yan, I will promote you to General Wei. At that time, you and your brother will be my right and left arms."

"It is our blessing to serve the King of Chu." Liu Yu had fought for so many years that he could control his murderous aura at will. In front of Huan Xuan, even his street ruffian air disappeared.

Do you know what I like most about you?

A maid picked a grape and put it into Huan Xuan's mouth.

Liu Yu thought for a moment and said, "This humble general only knows how to lead troops into battle; he knows nothing else."

“You have more self-awareness than Liu Laozhi. He thinks that being good at fighting can get him into the ranks of the elite, but he doesn’t know that what I give him is his. If I don’t give it to him, he can’t take it. Come, come, Ji Nu, quickly drink this cup of sweet wine.”

Huan Xuan twisted his fat body and personally served the sweet wine to Liu Yu.

All eyes in the hut were on Liu Yu, some with mockery, some with disdain, and some with indifference.

Those present were either renowned scholars or members of high-ranking families.

Liu Yu, a commoner and military man, stood out from the crowd. Even though he was the governor of Bingzhou and had just been granted the title of baron, he still didn't catch their eye.

"Thank you, King of Chu!" Liu Yu pretended not to see it, and without thinking, he took the sweet wine with both hands and drank it all in one gulp.

"Great!" Huan Xuan clapped his hands and laughed. "Oh dear, Ji Nu is an honest man. It's a pity that your brother Liu Daogui has ulterior motives. This is his memorial to the throne. Take a look."

A maidservant brought over a memorial.

The slightly rough yellow paper looked as if it had been crumpled and trampled, folded into a ball.

The handwriting on it was somewhat blurred, but the eight characters "the shame of Ba River and the defeat at Fangtou" were like knives, stabbing at Liu Yu.

This is no memorial to the throne; it's a declaration of war.

This banquet was more like a trap set for Liu Yu.

If he says the wrong thing today, his head will be hung on the flagpole as a sacrifice to the flag.

Huan Xuan never hesitated to kill. The old generals of the Northern Army either died or fled, and the entire Sima Yuanxian family was also wiped out.

Without such methods, Huan Xuan's ascension to the throne of Chu would never have been so smooth.

"This is utterly outrageous! The King of Chu's northern expedition is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people, and it will surely be unstoppable. Yet he utters such disloyal and unfilial words. He is truly arrogant! This humble general is willing to be the vanguard, capture this man alive, and let the King of Chu decide his fate!"

Liu Yu's face was full of anger, but there was no flaw in his expression.

Wang Yu, who was standing to the side, sneered, "General Liu, are you going to put righteousness before family, or are you going to defect on the battlefield?"

Liu Yu, a seasoned veteran of gambling and a long-time street urchin, immediately bowed to Huan Xuan and said, "If the King of Chu does not believe me, he may cut off my head!"

Huan Xuan smiled slightly with narrowed eyes, but remained silent.

Wang Yu added fuel to the fire, saying, "The people of Jiangzuo call you two brothers 'fierce tigers and crouching dragons,' which is truly remarkable. You are crouching dragons, and you cannot rise up. The King of Chu has no worries about the world, but he is concerned about Kang."

Sun Jian was known as the Tiger of Jiangdong. His son founded the Eastern Wu, which stood as one of the three powers alongside Wei and Shu.

During the late Han and Wei-Jin periods, two people were known as the Crouching Dragon: Zhuge Liang and Ji Kang.

When Zhong Hui failed to befriend Ji Kang, he advised Sima Zhao to frame Ji Kang with the "Sleeping Dragon" tactic, a strategy strikingly similar to Wang Yu's words today. Crucially, Wang Yu's words were not unfounded; after Liu Laozhi's death, the brothers Liu Yu and Liu Daogui rose to prominence in Jiangzuo.

Liu Yu was invincible in every battle, truly deserving of the nickname "Fierce Tiger."

Liu Daogui quietly swept through Yanzhou in Huai and Si provinces within five or six years, amassing hundreds of thousands of people and thirty to forty thousand soldiers, thus becoming Huan Xuan's biggest hidden danger.

If Liu Yu denies it, it only proves that he and his brother have ulterior motives.

If we admit it, I'm afraid we won't be able to get out today.

Huan Xuan was still smiling, but there was a hint of sharpness in his eyes.

Liu Yu remained calm and composed, readily admitting, "Only when a hero of his time emerges can a fierce tiger and a crouching dragon serve as his assistants. The King of Chu returned to Jiangling alone from Jiankang. His extraordinary talent and far-sighted strategy are unparalleled in the world. In six or seven years, he defeated Yin Zhongkan and Yang Quanqi, and captured Sima Yuanxian and his son. His achievements surpass those of his time, and he is revered by all people. He is as magnanimous as the ocean. What are fierce tigers and crouching dragons compared to him?"

"Well said! Hahaha—"

Huan Xuan was radiant with pride. He had been competitive since childhood, and had fought with his cousins ​​over geese, but had been repeatedly defeated. Feeling resentful, he killed all the geese in the mansion in one night to vent his anger.

But if you go along with his wishes, you will be favored.

But even the fierce tiger and the crouching dragon ultimately met with bad ends. Sun Jian was shot and killed by Huang Zu, Zhuge Liang fell from grace at Wuzhang Plain, and Ji Kang was persecuted to death by Sima Zhao.

If Huan Xuan were a truly extraordinary figure, he would have been able to tolerate Liu Yu and Liu Daogui.

If one cannot tolerate such a person, then one is not a "hero of destiny" favored by Heaven.

Huan Xuan obviously wouldn't deny himself in front of so many people and embarrass himself.

Now that the Southern Yan is so rampant and sharpening its knives, the treacherous bandit Lu Xun in the south has already captured Guangzhou and established a firm foothold. After recuperating, he will inevitably move north again sooner or later.

Therefore, Huan Xuan needed to rely more on the brothers Liu Yu and Liu Daogui.

At this moment, Bian Fanzhi coughed, "General Jianwu's loyalty is beyond question, but General Jianwei has yet to receive orders to attack Southern Yan. I wonder what the reason is..."

Liu Yu passed the test, but Liu Daogui did not.

Huan Xuan's face gradually darkened. "Ji Nu, what do you think?"

Liu Yu cupped his hands and said, "In my opinion, it would be better for the main army to move to Xiapi, with Your Majesty attacking its south and my brother attacking its north, so that it cannot attend to both ends. Within half a year, the Yan state will surely perish, and the King of Chu will achieve a great victory in the northern expedition. This will be in accordance with Heaven and the people, and the matter of reform is of great importance."

"Hmph!" Wang Yu snorted coldly.

These were words he should have said, but Liu Yu stole the show.

Huan Xuan was quite pleased and found Liu Yu increasingly pleasing to the eye. Just as he was about to agree, Bian Fanzhi cupped his hands and said, "The officials in charge of the fate of Huaibei are all in Pengcheng. Your Majesty should first enter Pengcheng and then watch Generals Jianwu and Jianwei gallop across the battlefield and make contributions to the country! Your Majesty must not forget that the Wei people are eyeing us covetously in the north."

Murong De was clearly a tough nut to crack. The Xianbei people were devastated and their army was in dire straits. Whoever went up first would face his full force.

Therefore, Yu Yue and Da Xijin of Wei remained inactive, hoping that the Jin army would advance first.

Huan Xuan was hoping that Liu Daogui would go first and weaken both of Murong De, so that he could then clean up the mess. Even if he couldn't destroy Southern Yan, he could still take back Pengcheng and Yanzhou, making a sure profit.

Every major battle is the result of countless calculations.

Dealing with one's own people is obviously easier than dealing with the barbarians.

Before setting out, Huan Xuan had already discussed the strategy with Bian Fanzhi. He then issued another military order, demanding that Bian Fanzhi send out troops within ten days, or else he would show no mercy.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Bian Fanzhi immediately picked up his pen, ready to write the military order.

At this moment, a military officer outside the door reported: "Your Majesty, General Jianwei has sent a memorial!"

"Read it." Huan Xuan lay back on the soft couch, his protruding belly like a hill.

One maid massaged his shoulders, while another put a peeled grape into Huan Xuan's mouth.

"Upon hearing of the King of Chu's northern expedition, hundreds of thousands of people from the Huai and Si regions were moved to tears. They respectfully welcomed the royal army into the city, all eager to witness the King's heroic bearing. Daogui also wishes to hear your teachings. Words cannot express my gratitude. I hope the King of Chu will arrive soon!"

After the officer finished reading, the hut was completely silent.

They have tried every means to seize Pengcheng, and now the gates of Pengcheng are open; please let them in.

The pen in Byun Beom-ji's hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

(End of this chapter)