Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 298 Lost

"General Gongsun Biao, the Wu general, led 20,000 infantrymen across the river at Liyang. Liu Sima led 5,000 men to resist. General Changsun Fei, the Zhenyuan general, and General Yu Lidi, the Champion general, suddenly led 10,000 cavalrymen to cross the river at Xijin upstream. They attacked from both sides. Liu Sima was attacked from both sides, defeated and captured, and Huatai fell!"

Meng Ganzhi's face was filled with grief and indignation.

"What? Ah Shen has been captured?" Liu Zunxian exclaimed.

Liu Daogui's heart sank. Huatai was the gateway to the Central Plains. If it fell, the entire Central Plains would be open to the Suomen cavalry.

In retrospect, the confrontation between Yu Yue and Murong De back then seemed more like a charade, drawing everyone's attention to Qingzhou, while their true target was the Central Plains.

This feint was indeed brilliant.

Liu Daogui had thought about returning on this day, but he didn't expect it to come so soon.

"Is there no law? Is there no justice? The Suolu allied with me, and then launched a sneak attack. Tuoba Gui is despicable and shameless; he has no shame at all!" Liu Zun kept shouting.

"The deed is done, can you curse Tuoba Gui to death?" Liu Daogui calmed down instead.

Since we are based in the Central Plains, a land of countless battles, we must be aware of this.

Back then, Emperor Wu of Wei was betrayed by Lü Bu and Zhang Miao, and the entire Yan Province rebelled, leaving only Juancheng, Dong'e and Fanxian counties, and he was almost destroyed.

Liu Daogui was sandwiched between several major forces, appearing to be the weakest, yet occupying the most fertile land.

The governance has been quite good over the years, which inevitably makes it a target for wolves and tigers.

Fortunately, Huan Xuan himself was also unstable and had major internal problems; otherwise, in this North-South conflict, Liu Daogui would have been the first to be served up...

As for any kind of alliance, who believes in that these days?

Both Yan and Qin had allied with Wei to help it restore its kingdom, and Tuoba Gui showed no mercy when he took action.

The Wei Kingdom mobilized three generals this time: Changsun Fei, Gongsun Biao, and Yu Lidi. Liu Huaizhen was all alone, and it would be good enough if he could hold off Gongsun Biao.

If we include Yu Yue and Da Xi Jin, who were facing each other to the east, almost all the well-known generals of Wei had come.

Among them, Changsun Fei and Yulidi were known as having the bravery of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. They attacked Kumoxi, attacked Helan tribe, annexed Tiefu tribe and Xuegan tribe, attacked Rouran in the north, destroyed Later Yan in the south, and participated in the Battle of Chaibi.

Half of the territory of the Wei Kingdom was conquered by Changsun Fei.

It was not unjust for Liu Huaizhen to lose to him.

Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; Murong Chui also suffered losses at the hands of Liu Laozhi.

Even if Liu Daogui were in Huatai, it might not end well. Clearly, the Wei Kingdom had been plotting this for a long time. Apart from Tuoba Gui, almost all of Wei's fierce generals had come.

Suppressing his agitation, Liu Daogui asked, "Where are the Suolu people now?"

Meng Gan said: "Changsun Fei personally led 20,000 troops to attack Xuchang, while Gongsun Biao led 10,000 infantry and cavalry south to attack and plunder Dongping."

"Mao Dezhu, listen to my command! Quickly send the cavalry north to reinforce Xuchang. The rest of the troops, board the ships immediately and head north to meet Gongsun Biao." Liu Daogui gave the order immediately.

"We obey!" The generals bowed.

Fighting Huan Xuan was merely a pretense; both sides had their own concerns.

Tuoba Gui had no scruples and massacred 50,000 surrendered Yan soldiers at Canhebei. He became increasingly successful in his battles, as if divinely aided, and grew stronger through war, becoming accustomed to the thrill of victory.

With such a large piece of fat meat in the Central Plains right in front of him, it was impossible for him not to be tempted.

On the contrary, Murong De was a tough nut to crack, and he repelled the Wei army several times, preventing them from advancing eastward.

Mao Dezhu led his cavalry westward. Rescue was urgently needed, and mobilizing tens of thousands of troops was no easy task. Liu Daogui led nine thousand elite central troops to board the ship and set off first.

Gao Xun led his troops, militia, and local strongmen's retainers behind him.

Upon arriving in Gaoping, news came from the north that Liu Guangzhi had led two thousand elite troops and blocked Gongsun Biao at Wuyan.

Xuchang to the west was also a fortified city. The garrison commander, Zhao Yuan, was an old friend of Liu Daogui. Although he had been unremarkable in recent years, having been in charge of land reclamation in the rear, he was still quite capable.

Yingchuan was a key area for military settlements. After the fall of Huatai, he immediately brought the settlers and slaves into the city and organized defenses.

Changsun Fei led a light cavalry charge, but lacking siege equipment, his 20,000 troops were helpless against Xuchang.

Liu Daogui breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could hold off the Wei army, things would be much easier. His biggest fear was that before he could even head north, Changsun Fei and Gongsun Biao would advance deep into his heartland.

"Order all ships to turn around and head towards Huatai instead of Dongping, to trap and thwart our plans!"

He who wins by adapting to the enemy's changes is called a god.

Plans can't keep up with changes. Since Zhao Yuan and Liu Guangzhi have blocked the Wei army, Liu Daogui is no longer in a hurry to rescue them.

With 9,000 elite troops at his disposal and over 30,000 men behind him, he was fully capable of dealing with the Suolu.

If they could be captured, they could break Tuoba Gui's arrogance and shatter his invincible status.

Changsun Fei began following Tuoba Shiyijian at the age of thirteen. He was a veteran minister of the Tuoba family for three reigns and a pillar of the Wei state.

A kind person is often taken advantage of, and a good horse is often bullied.

Tuoba Gui didn't seek out Murong De or Murong Xi, but instead invaded Yu and Yan, clearly because he thought Liu Daogui was easy to bully.

"Governor, a letter from Registrar Liu!" Shen Qingzhi said from outside the cabin.

"Send it over quickly." Liu Daogui's spirits lifted.

The fact that Liu Muzhi sent a letter at this time must be of great significance.

As expected, after reading the letter, Liu Daogui fell into deep thought. He actually suggested joining forces with Murong De to launch a surprise attack on the Wei army. The Tuoba clan and the Murong clan are sworn enemies and will never compromise. If Yan and Yu are occupied by Wei, the situation will be dire, and Southern Yan will be unable to withstand the attack alone. Even if Murong De is tied down by Yu Yue and Da Xi Jin in Ji Province, it will still relieve some of our pressure.

"What do you think?" Liu Daogui asked Shen Qingzhi.

"I don't think it's necessary."

"Oh, why?"

"The Southern Yan invaded our territory and killed our people. How can we win the hearts of the people if we now form an alliance with them? Moreover, the barbarians have no integrity. If we take the initiative to form an alliance with them, it is a sign of weakness. Murong De is a wolf in sheep's clothing with great ambition. He is eyeing the Huai and Si regions covetously. If he launches a surprise attack on Lanling from the East Sea, our army will be attacked from both sides. The Wei army has only 30,000 men, while our army has 50,000. We have the advantage of terrain and popular support. The commander-in-chief is a brilliant strategist. Why should we invite wolves into our house? Furthermore, Murong De has occupied three counties in Xudong. If he attacks us in the future, wouldn't we be breaking our promise?"

Shen Qingzhi remained silent until he made a stunning debut.

Liu Muzhi was a master strategist and administrator, but he was somewhat lacking in military strategy.

Having spent many years navigating the streets and fighting battles, Liu Daogui's most valuable lesson was that one can only rely on oneself; if one places their hopes on others, they will only suffer utter defeat.

Moreover, Murong De was no pushover either; he had previously boasted that he would invade Jiangzuo.

If you take the initiative to ask him for help now, it will only make him think that Liu Daogui is weak.

These days, any power that is weak will be surrounded by wolves who will fight and devour it!
"The Shen family's children are indeed extraordinary!" Liu Daogui praised.

Shen Qingzhi cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "This is all thanks to the Governor's teachings over the years."

This kid is quite shrewd. Whenever important matters are discussed, he stands guard outside to listen in. The more he sees, the more he understands.

Moreover, he was exceptionally talented, calm and composed, and skilled in both literature and martial arts, making him a leading figure in the Shen family of Wuxing.

Shen was also a Martial Clan member, and naturally close to Liu Daogui, who came from the Northern Martial Clan.

“From today onwards, you will no longer be a halberd bearer, but will become a commander under your command.” Liu Daogui patted him on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Governor."

"What about me?" Liu Zun asked, his eyes wide.

Previously, he had always been the one in charge.

"You are promoted to Tiger General." With the increase in troop strength and the frequency of battles, Liu Daogui planned to increase the Tiger General to a size of a thousand men.

Firstly, it can enhance the soldiers' sense of honor.

Secondly, it increases the promotion channels for ordinary soldiers, giving them something to strive for and preventing them from slacking off.

"Great!" Liu Zun's face was full of joy.

Tiger Warriors are the elite of the elite, so he was naturally willing.

Liu Daogui personally wrote a reply to Liu Muzhi, telling him not to worry.

The Wei army has been at its zenith for years, with a formidable reputation. Liu Muzhi has only been in the military government for less than two years and has been handling political affairs, so he is not very familiar with his own side's combat strength.

Everyone has their limitations; no one is perfect. Even those who were once at the top, such as Huan Wen, Fu Jian, and Murong Chui, had their own shortcomings.

Liu Daogui headed straight for the platform by waterway.

After last autumn's harvest, Liu Muzhi led the lowly households and slave households to dredge the waterways, which has now been of great help. With the canal, troops can advance quickly, supplies can be transported, and the Wei cavalry can be spared from harassment.

No matter how powerful their cavalry were, they couldn't possibly charge into the river.

On the contrary, if they get close to the warship, they will be shot dead by the heavy crossbows on board.

In order to mislead Changsun Fei and Gongsun Biao, Liu Daogui did not take the Ying River, but instead took the Huan Gong Canal northward, entered the Bian River, and headed north to the Yellow River. Huan Wen had taken this same waterway during his northern expedition, which led directly to Fangtou, an important town in Hebei.

"How many enemy troops are left in Huatai?" Liu Daogui asked, as they were less than a hundred li from Huatai.

Gao Xun's army is still behind. If they cannot quickly capture Huatai, Gongsun Biao and Changsun Fei's reinforcements will arrive in no time.

Their cavalry were no slower than ships.

Shen Qingzhi said, "Governor Meng personally led scouts to investigate last night."

Liu Daogui nodded, saying that haste makes waste, and he had done everything he could; now it was just a matter of luck.

A person's rise to prominence requires, to some extent, luck.

Tuoba Gui's rise to power was incredibly lucky. He angered Murong Chui to death at the Battle of Canhebei, and then Murong Bao delivered himself to his doorstep. Otherwise, given the size of the Wei state at that time, even if they had won the Battle of Canhebei, they could never have destroyed Later Yan and occupied Hebei so quickly.

The same was true for Huan Xuan in the south. Sima Daozi and Wang Gong fought back and forth, and Sima Yuanxian destroyed his own foundation with a "musical order". Then he encountered Liu Laozhi and easily took control of Jiankang...

In the current situation, as long as we capture the platform and cut off the Wei army's retreat, Changsun Fei and Gongsun Biao will be at a disadvantage.

It's still summer, and the Yellow River is full of water. With the navy blocking the river, Xin Gongjing and Xiahou Zongzhi defending Hulao Pass, and a scorched-earth policy, Liu Daogui is confident that he can keep all 30,000 Wei troops alive!

The Wei Kingdom lost these 30,000 elite troops, which severely damaged its vitality. It will take three to five years to recover.

Liu Daogui became more and more excited as he thought about it.

At this moment, Meng Ganzhi returned, still covered in blood, and his complexion was not good.

Liu Daogui's heart skipped a beat; he feared that the other side of the sliding platform wouldn't be so easy.

Meng Ganzhi cupped his hands and said, "Changsun Fei has designated Huatai as a place for the transfer of grain and fodder, and left 5,000 infantry and cavalry from the Lidi tribe to defend Huatai!"

(End of this chapter)