Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 299

With 5,000 infantry and cavalry defending the platform, Liu Daogui had no chance left.

Shen Qingzhi cupped his hands and said, "This humble general is willing to lead an army to lure the enemy! Commander-in-Chief, lead the main force to encircle them!"

Yu Lidi was known as a warrior capable of defeating ten thousand men. Tuoba Gui compared him to Ying Bu and Peng Yue. Legend has it that during a hunting trip, Tuoba Gui saw a mother bear with a group of cubs and ordered Yu Lidi to fight them.

Yu Lidi, however, did not act rashly. Instead, he advised Tuoba Gui: "Of all things under heaven, humanity is the most precious. If we fight against it and fail, we will only be wasting the life of a brave warrior."

Tuoba Gui actually listened and apologized to him.

The strategy of luring the enemy is not very effective against this kind of person.

"This strategy might work against others, but it's useless against Changsun Fei and Yu Lidi. If they hold their ground and don't come out, we'll only prolong our time and lose the effect of our surprise attack."

If this drags on, Changsun Fei and Gongsun Biao will come to their aid.

Liu Daogui had a cowhide map brought over. Huatai was not far from Xuchang, and the troops could return to reinforce it in two days at most. With only nine thousand elite troops, it was almost impossible to break through a fortified city defended by five thousand elite troops in two days.

In other words, this strategy is not feasible.

My gaze swept across the map and naturally landed on Liyang, which was opposite the platform.

If Huatai is the gateway to the Central Plains, then Liyang is the gateway to Hebei.

Changsun Fei only had 30,000 elite troops in this battle, all of whom were deployed south of the Yellow River. Even if Liyang had troops, they certainly wouldn't have many.

Liu Daogui's eyes lit up, and he slapped Liyang on the ground, "Immediately head north and attack Liyang!"

Taking Liyang would also cut off the Yan army's retreat.

It can also invade Hebei.

It is impolite not to reciprocate. Hebei is full of Hu people, and Tuoba Gui is far away in Pingcheng, beyond the reach of his reach.

Shen Qingzhi exclaimed in praise, "The Governor's plan is brilliant!"

Liu Zun laughed loudly, "Hahaha, I knew the Commander-in-Chief had a plan! The barbarians are robbing us, so we'll storm into Hebei and rob them!"

The battlefield immediately moved north and entered the Yellow River.

Tuoba Gui had just conquered Hebei and did not yet have a navy, so Liu Daogui completely controlled the waterways.

Not only was Liyang within the strike range, but Fangtou was also under the blade.

The Wei army consisted mostly of cavalry, who were elusive on land, making crossing the river much more difficult.

The Wei army at Huatai seemed to have discovered Liu Daogui's intentions, but by this time their warships had already entered the Yellow River, and launching their cargo ships and rafts would be tantamount to suicide.

Liu Daogui left ten warships to keep an eye on the Wei army at Huatai, while the rest of his troops went ashore on the north bank of the Dahe River.

A cool breeze swept over me. The earth was vast and the sky was high. From the moment I set foot on the land of Hebei, a sense of destiny and mission welled up in my heart.

This is the ancient land of China, the place where our ancestors lived...

As far as the eye could see, there was only desolation.

Wild grasses grow up to knee height, and no farmland or villages can be seen.

"There are only three thousand garrison troops in Liyang City!" Meng Gan reported earlier.

"Attack the city," Liu Daogui uttered calmly.

But the determination within is palpable.

Although the soldiers were busy traveling back and forth, they stayed on the ship, eating, drinking, and sleeping well. Their morale was still high, and they marched bravely and spiritedly towards the city ahead.

The sound of urgent wooden clappers also rang out from the city wall.

The defending troops were clearly flustered, obviously not expecting the enemy to attack the area.

Tuoba Gui's elite troops were all infantrymen, not good at defending cities. Back then, when Tuoba Qian's 30,000-strong army defended Pingcheng, Murong Chui broke through it in no time and even killed Tuoba Qian, which frightened Tuoba Gui so much that he prepared to flee the capital, Shengle.

Liu Daogui observed from the ship's side that the garrison should all be Jin people.

Liu Zun, leading two hundred elite warriors, charged ahead with overwhelming momentum.

Just then, the city gate suddenly opened, and a thousand cavalrymen rushed out and charged towards Liu Zun's troops.

Ordinary infantry would have been scared away long ago, but Liu Zun's troops were all elite warriors, each wearing iron armor and carrying spears and crossbows. They immediately formed a circular formation, with the front-row soldiers half-crouching and using the butts of their spears to strike the ground, while the rear-row soldiers drew their bows and nocked arrows, but did not release them.

At the same time, the Wei cavalry also drew their bows and prepared to fire.

However, the horse bow is inferior to the crossbow in both range and accuracy. I dare not speak for other things in Jiangzuo, but the crossbow is absolutely unparalleled in the world.

At an interval of eighty paces, a volley of arrows was fired horizontally, and more than twenty Wei cavalrymen immediately fell.

The cavalry behind fired arrows, which landed lightly twenty paces in front of the circular formation. Occasionally, a few arrows would penetrate into the formation, hitting the iron armor and losing all their force.

"Beat the drums to cheer them on!"

Liu Daogui shouted.

It is highly likely that this cavalry force is the elite force of Liyang. As long as they are defeated, Liyang will fall without a fight.

Therefore, we must make a big splash.

dong dong dong-

The powerful and resonant sound of war drums echoed throughout the heavens and earth, stirring the soul.

The Wei cavalry arrived in the blink of an eye, led by more than thirty riders, both men and horses clad in iron armor. The ground shook as their hooves pounded wildly. Ordinary infantrymen would need immense courage to face them, let alone engage them in battle.

But the Tiger Warriors remained unmoved, their infantry and spears arrayed like reeds.

Each infantry spear is a full eighteen feet long, with a blade as sharp as a sword; it was specifically designed to counter cavalry.

"Ho, ho, ho—" The Wei cavalry let out the whistling sound that was common among the Xianbei people.

He resolutely charged into the long spears of the infantry formation.

In an instant, blood splattered, and screams of agony from both men and horses rang out.

The thirty-odd cavalrymen seemed to have crashed into an iron wall, blood and flesh flying everywhere, men and horses impaled on their spears. More than a dozen of the Tiger Warriors in the front row were also knocked away, but their comrades in the back row immediately filled in for them.

The crossbow bolts kept firing at the Wei cavalry behind them.

Call——

The battle was so fierce that the warhorses neighed in terror, but these cavalrymen were clearly brave warriors who charged forward fearlessly, attempting to break through the infantry formation with their flesh and blood.

But Liu Daogui's forces were not limited to just three hundred men; Shen Qingzhi led three thousand men to encircle them from the northeast.

One by one, the cavalrymen fell, and the Tiger Warriors' casualties also increased.

Some had their hands and feet severed by sabers, and were riddled with arrows, but as long as they had a breath left, they desperately lunged forward, raising a cloud of blood mist...

After a short while, the Wei cavalry still couldn't break through the infantry formation, and their momentum was gradually brought to a halt.

Shen Qingzhi's men surrounded them, advancing with long spears like a wall, their barbs impenetrable.

The battle lasted only half an hour, but it was exceptionally fierce.

The strong stench of blood wafted through the air with the turbulent wind, and a cloud of blood mist hung over the battlefield.

Fewer than three hundred Wei cavalrymen escaped.

"Attack the city!" Liu Zun, covered in blood, pointed at Liyang City with a blood-soaked axe on his back.

The defenders on the city wall were stunned, forgetting even to fire their crossbows.

Liu Daogui led his soldiers forward, approaching the city, and issued an order: those who surrender will not be killed, and those who resist will be executed without mercy!

Less than three years after Tuoba Gui took control of Ji Province, his focus was still on the northern Dai Commandery and the southern part of the Gobi Desert, and this area had not yet fully submitted to his will.

Liu Daogui hoped that the defending troops would surrender voluntarily.

It doesn't matter if we don't surrender; it'll just be a waste of effort.

"If we don't surrender now, when will we?" Liu Zun roared as he led his troops toward the city.

At this moment, someone on the city wall shouted: "Do not attack the city! We are all Jin people, and we were forced to surrender to the barbarians. If the general does not attack the city, we are willing to offer up our provisions and leave each other alone..."

"Damn it, do you think we can't break through this damn city?!" Liu Zun jumped up and cursed.

The man on the city wall looked distressed. "Even if the general breaches the city, he can't hold it. Why harm me? One day, hundreds of thousands of enemy troops will return, and the entire city will be wiped out..."

Liu Daogui was almost laughing out of anger.

However, this is a common mindset in the North. With each Northern Expedition, these people are the ones who suffer the most.

What this person said does make some sense. Tuoba Gui's power is now greater than that of Murong Chui back then. The incident at Canhebei has made them even more terrified. Although Liu Daogui was able to break through Liyang today, it would be difficult for him to defend it for a long time.

"If the Suolu can wipe out your entire city, why can't I? Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the city gates will not be opened, and not a single chicken or dog will be left alive!" Liu Daogui would never abandon this strategic location for their sake.

"If the city gates are not opened, not a single chicken or dog will be spared!"

The soldiers shouted in unison, their faces full of excitement, as if they had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Killing and women are men's most primal desires.

The battle just now was so fierce that it ignited the soldiers' ferocity, and their killing intent surged.

A moment of silence fell over the city walls, while the soldiers below were itching to attack.

With a creak, the city gate opened.

A group of elders came out of the city to greet him, but Liu Daogui snorted coldly, ignored them, and strode into the city.

But inside the city stood rows of elderly, weak, women and children, their faces filled with sorrow and fear as they looked at Liu Daogui.

Liu Laozhi once conquered this city. Later, Teng Tianzhi was stationed here. He had all the bad habits of the Jiangdong gentry, loved hunting, and did not care for his soldiers or the people. This allowed Zhai Liao to take advantage of the situation, seize the city, and develop into Zhai Wei.

"Everyone in the city will be relocated to Jibei starting tomorrow, and their land and houses will be distributed accordingly!"

Even the smallest fly is still meat. Liu Daogui cannot guarantee that he can defend the city, but he can relocate them to a safe place.

"Thank you, Governor!"

Several elders quickly followed, beaming with joy.

"We will not leave; we are willing to follow the general and kill the barbarians!"

A group of soldiers surged forward; they were all spirited young men.

Liu Daogui's eyes lit up. "People say that the land of Yan and Zhao is full of generous and tragic heroes. Seeing this today, I can see that it is true. If you all follow me, we will surely be able to fight our way back to this place and reclaim our homeland one day!"

"Our lives are worthless; whether we serve the barbarians or the general, it's all the same!"

Several burly men stepped forward.

"It's not about risking our lives, it's about taking back what's rightfully ours!"

"That's enough from the general!"

The crowd bowed with their hands clasped.

Liu Daogui helped these people up, thinking to himself that he had finally made the right move. He thought that the ungrateful were often scholars, while the righteous were often butchers. In the wilderness, heroes were often found.

Forty years ago, Ran Min raised his arm and rallied the people, and the battle raged on day and night, demonstrating the bloodthirstiness of the Jin people in the north...

Shen Qingzhi counted them and found there were as many as two thousand people.

There are still more than a thousand able-bodied men in the city who are willing to stay.

Liu Daogui immediately ordered the treasury to be opened and a large feast to be held for the soldiers. Even the people in the city were given some grain.

In those days, food was everything; once the food was distributed, all the doubts of the people in the city vanished.

The fact that the soldiers did not commit any offenses after entering the city put their minds at ease.

With the capture of Liyang, Liu Daogui's plan was half completed. He immediately ordered all counties in Yan and Yu provinces to fortify their defenses and scorch the fields. Crops in the area west of the Si River and north of the Ying River were to be harvested ahead of schedule. Any crops that could not be harvested were to be destroyed, leaving not a single grain for Changsun Fei and Gongsun Biao.

(End of this chapter)