Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 300 Victory

Several ferry crossings near Liyang were also blocked by Liu Zhong's naval forces.

Changsun Fei could either cross the river from Jibei downstream into Gaotang, attack Hulao Pass and cross the river from Mengjin, or launch a strong attack on Liyang.

However, none of these three roads were easy to travel. Murong De's 20,000 infantry and cavalry were confronting Yu Yue in Gaotang, and there were also two groups of troops led by Liu Guangzhi and Xiao Chengzhi blocking the way.

Attacking Liyang without warships and a navy would be tantamount to sending oneself to the slaughterhouse.

The situation has reversed. Although the Wei army has stored some food and fodder at Huatai, they cannot withstand the large number of Wei cavalry. The daily consumption of food and fodder for both men and horses is enormous.

Liu Daogui issued a strict order: whoever's city was breached would have to bring his head to the authorities, and his family would be reduced to lowly status.

Anyone who surrenders the city to the enemy will have their entire family exterminated!

North of the Yellow River, the Wei army was a formidable force, and the people of Liyang dared not open the city gates for fear of massacring them. South of the Yellow River, Liu Daogui had cultivated his influence for many years, and his prestige had long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

If they say they'll kill the whole family, they will definitely kill the whole family; if they say they'll exterminate three generations, they will definitely exterminate three generations.

Conversely, if someone dares to launch a surprise attack on the Wei army, they can exchange one captured enemy's head for three liters of grain. If they die defending the city, the Jianwei Military Government will be responsible for providing compensation to their family members, including their parents, wives, and children.

Once the military order was issued, the counties and prefectures of the Central Plains remained silent. Not a single person dared to surrender to the Wei army.

Even some nomadic tribes obediently migrated eastward, away from the battlefield.

Even those not under the jurisdiction of Jianwei Military Prefecture were all extremely cautious and dared not be negligent.

As long as the Jianwei Military Prefecture remains, it will be difficult for the Wei army to establish a foothold south of the Yellow River. They will leave sooner or later. They have offended Liu Daogui and the Northern Army. They can run away, but they can't hide.

However, Changsun Fei did not panic. Instead of retreating to Huatai, he built deep trenches and high walls around Xuchang and held firm.

In contrast, Gongsun Biao on the other side appeared much more anxious.

They burned, killed, and looted everywhere.

However, they were restrained by Liu Guangzhi and Xiao Chengzhi, one on each side.

The two Zhechong prefectures of Jibei and Shanyang strictly implemented Liu Daogui's military orders, implementing a scorched-earth policy. All the wheat outside the city that could be harvested was harvested, and the rest that could not be harvested was flooded and rotted in the fields within a few days.

Shen Qingzhi suggested, "Wei is waging war in all directions, and its forces are scattered. Tuoba Gui is far away in Pingcheng. In my opinion, it would be better to send troops to plunder and loot in all directions. Perhaps we can gain something from this."

Although the State of Wei was a hegemon, it had enemies with all the surrounding powers: Rouran, Qin, Northern Yan, Southern Yan, and Jin. It had to defend against many forces.

Now, Yu Yue and Da Xi Jin are tied down in Pingyuan County by Murong De, and Changsun Fei and Gongsun Biao are blocked south of the Yellow River, leaving Ye City vulnerable.

Coincidentally, at noon today, Gao Xun's 40,000 troops arrived at the Liyang and Puyang line one after another.

Liu Daogui had plenty of troops, and since he was idle anyway, he decided to take a big bite out of Tuoba Gui. If he didn't hurt him, Tuoba Gui would always keep an eye on him, and the Central Plains would never have peace and would be unable to develop.

Where there is a battlefield, there will be soldiers who have fought a hundred battles.

Located in the Huai and Si River basins, without mountains and passes to protect it, it can only rely on force to subdue the surrounding forces.

Even after eighty or ninety years of war, the Yellow River basin remains the most prosperous region in the world. And being a battlefield is not all bad; as long as one can gain a foothold and develop, one can sweep across the land.

"I'll give you ten thousand soldiers to attack Fangtou. Do you dare to go?"

When Emperor Wu of Wei attacked the Yuan brothers, he built the Licao Canal in Hebei, which diverted the Zhang River through Ye City into the Baigou Canal, connecting the Zhang River, Huan River, Yellow River and Qi River in Hebei into one area.

Fangtou is where the Hebei Siming (a local authority) is located.

Fu Hong settled here at this time, and people at the time said that Fangtou had the aura of a king.

When Huan Wen launched his northern expedition against the Former Yan, he marched straight to this place, frightening Murong Wei into preparing to move the capital to safety.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Shen Qingzhi showed neither excitement nor panic, remaining calm and composed.

“That’s ten thousand people…” Liu Zun muttered.

Commanding 10,000 people is completely different from commanding several thousand. Liu Daogui is grooming Shen Qingzhi to be a regional commander.

Among his generals, only Mao Dezhu and Liu Guangzhi received this treatment.

“If you can do it, I will send you.” Liu Daogui looked at Liu Zun.

This fellow was quite self-aware, waving his hands repeatedly, "Don't you know me? All I know is charging into battle..."

Just in case, Liu Daogui also ordered Liu Zhong to lead two thousand naval troops to support him. It is not easy to cultivate a talented general. Last time, when Shen Qingzhi went to the three counties of Xudong to practice, he performed adequately but did not have any outstanding performance.

If he succeeds this time, he will be qualified to take charge on his own.

Liu Daogui waited patiently in Liyang.

There's no news from the south or north yet, but something happened in the east.

Murong De, who had been stationed in Gaotang for a long time, suddenly added 30,000 troops, preparing to fight Yu Yue and Da Xi Jin.

This move was clearly intended to contain the Wei army in the east and create an opportunity for Liu Daogui.

Liu Daogui understood perfectly. An old general is an old general; he knew the principle of mutual dependence and knew when to act.

Although the two sides were not allied, they had a great deal of understanding in dealing with the State of Wei.

If Liu Daogui were to wipe out the forces of Changsun Fei and Gongsun Biao, it would greatly weaken the Wei army in Ji Province, damage the morale of Wei, and allow Murong De to take a piece of Wei's flesh.

There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, a spy just reported that Tuoba Gui has gathered nearly 40,000 infantry and cavalry in Pingcheng!" Meng Ganzhi was the busiest person at the moment.

They were like Liu Daogui's eyes and ears; without his scout camp, the army would never have dared to venture so deep.

"So fast?" Liu Daogui's heart sank. Gao Xun said, "Changsun Fei is the pillar of Wei, and cannot be lost. The fall of Liyang has shaken Hebei. Tuoba Gui has no choice but to come."

Among the rulers of the northern kingdoms, Tuoba Gui was among the most strategically astute.

When faced with a major battle, they never hesitate; they draw their swords and fight.

If Changsun Fei were to be defeated, the morale of the Wei state would suffer a severe blow, and the fate of the Wei state might come to an abrupt end.

This was something Tuoba Gui could not tolerate.

"Send a message to Shen Qingzhi, telling him to stop when he can. If he can't take Fangtou, he can give up." Liu Daogui didn't insist.

Where there is life, there is hope.

The State of Wei is currently at its zenith, so we should avoid its sharp edge and not try to fight it head-on.

Just as the guards left, a scout loudly reported from outside the hall: "Commander, a great victory! Generals Shen and Liu have captured Fangtou without shedding a drop of blood!"

Liu Daogui thought he had misheard.

Shen Qingzhi had only been on the expedition for less than five days when Fangtou was captured?
After Liyang was captured, the Wei army left 4,000 elite troops at Fangtou.

"Tell me in detail how you broke through," Liu Daogui asked, his curiosity piqued, wondering if Shen Qingzhi had some ingenious plan.

The scout said calmly, "That's how it was breached. The entire battle lasted less than two hours. General Shen was directing from the rear, and the city fell..."

Liu Daogui was speechless for a while.

But upon closer reflection, it makes sense; not all major battles are so shocking.

Often, it's a head-on attack; whoever is stronger wins, and whoever dares to fight to the death wins a great victory.

The fighting strength of the Fubing (府兵) was actually no worse than that of the Zhongbing (中兵). Almost all of them were refugees from the north, carrying blood feuds on their backs, and their desire to launch a northern expedition was even more resolute.

The scouts make it sound simple, but in reality, commanding ten thousand men is an extremely demanding task.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Zhaolie Liu Bei commanded 10,000 troops and fought well in the Battle of Bowangpo and the Battle of Red Cliffs. However, with a large army, he was outmatched and was burned by Lu Xun at Xiaoting, where his camp was burned for eight hundred miles.

The fact that Shen Qingzhi played so easily shows that he has not yet reached his full potential.

It's almost certain that he is a brilliant strategist.

"If we take Fangtou, we can form a defensive triangle with Liyang, and with the Yellow River at our backs, we can hold our ground even if Tuoba Gui's 40,000 infantry and cavalry arrive!" Gao Xun's expression was somewhat complicated.

He's been in this business for so many years and has never had such a remarkable record.

Looking at the map, Liu Daogui saw various forces intertwined on both sides of the Yellow River.

Fangtou was the gateway to Yecheng, located at the confluence of the Qi River and the Qing River. Behind it, the Licao Canal connected it to the Yellow River, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Tuoba Gui's cavalry had no use for it.

Back then, Fu Hong defeated Yao Xiang's 50,000-strong army here with only 10,000 men, capturing and killing 30,000.

If Shen Qingzhi hadn't taken Fangtou, Liu Daogui wouldn't have been able to hold his ground in Liyang.

Now that Fangtou is in hand, the situation has changed again; Tuoba Gui's 40,000 infantry and cavalry are no match for him.

"No, let's take another step forward and attack Ye City!" Liu Daogui slammed his hand on the table.

In these battles, Wei has exposed more and more problems: its military strength is depleted, its soldiers are exhausted, and its combat effectiveness is not strong.

On the contrary, their side became stronger and more successful as the game progressed.

Gao Xun looked surprised. "Ye City... is a fortified city, located in the heart of Hebei. When Tuoba Gui established his capital in Dai County, he had a commanding position. Ye City was surrounded by enemies on three sides, which is why Murong De abandoned this place."

"My attack on Ye City is not for the purpose of seizing territory, but to inspire the people of Jiangzuo. Ye City is the capital of the barbarians. If we can force it to submit, we can crush the arrogance of the barbarians!"

Ye City was the capital of the Jie Zhao and Former Yan dynasties.

War cannot be confined to the battlefield, but also to the hearts of the people. Liu Daogui's troops under the city walls were a demonstration to the world of his determination to launch a northern expedition!

The benefits are enormous.

Gao Xun said, "What should we do about Liyang? Once the governor's army leaves, Huatai, Yulidi, Xuchang, and Changsun Fei will surely launch a counterattack."

"They must not have received the news yet. Even if they have, crossing the river won't be easy. I'll leave Liu Zhong's navy here to guard this place!"

With Fangtou in hand, Liyang is no longer so important. Even if it is captured by Changsun Fei, Liu Daogui can cross the river at Mengjin in the west and return from Luoyang.

Compared to the enormous gains from attacking Ye City, this risk is nothing.

To put it bluntly, this battle was about speed over slowness, taking advantage of Tuoba Gui and Changsun Fei's lack of reaction time to deliver a fatal blow to the Wei Kingdom!

The bandits can go, and so can I.

Whether or not we can take it is one thing, whether or not we dare to fight is another. But proving to the world our determination to launch the Northern Expedition is more important than attacking Ye City itself!

Liu Daogui immediately mustered 10,000 central troops and 10,000 local soldiers. Liu Zhong rushed back from Fangtou and led 5,000 naval troops and 3,000 local militia to defend Liyang. Gao Xun led 5,000 troops eastward to defend Puyang.

To prevent Changsun Fei and Yu Lidi from resorting to desperate measures and crossing the river at Puyang.

A huge banner bearing the character "Liu" stands tall on the northern land.

The distant mountains are vast and boundless, the great river flows mightily, and the early autumn wind gently blows eastward, dispelling the summer heat.

The soldiers marched northward in orderly steps.

(End of this chapter)