Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 305 Surround

"Huan Xuan finally took this step."

Upon receiving news of Huan Xuan's usurpation, Liu Daogui was actually somewhat pleased.

From a normal person's perspective, the time for him to declare himself emperor is far from being right.

Huan Wen's achievements were far greater than his. He could depose the emperors and princes of the Sima family at will, and no one dared to oppose him. He controlled all the forces, yet he never declared himself emperor.

Huan Xuan had only been in Jiankang for two years when he hastily proclaimed himself king and emperor.

They didn't even ask other forces if they agreed.

Liu Daogui found it hard to believe that after seizing the throne, he lavishly bestowed titles upon aristocratic families, yet failed to take the opportunity to win over the hearts of the Northern Army.

This practically puts the Northern Army on the opposite side.

The Northern Army suffered heavy losses after Liu Laozhi's death, but as long as the people of Jingkou and Guangling are still alive, the Northern Army will not perish.

Similarly, as long as the Western Prefecture and the Northern Prefecture still exist, the antagonism between the two sides will not be eliminated.

"The governor has rendered great service to the court, yet Huan Xuan, upon becoming emperor, turns a blind eye to it..." Gao Xun spoke out in defense of Liu Daogui.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "Huan Xuan has always been petty and narrow-minded, so it's nothing to be surprised about. It's good that he didn't reward us. The soldiers will distance themselves from him and won't hold back when they fight in the future."

Accepting his reward is tantamount to acknowledging his legitimacy, thus becoming a subject of Chu.

Liu Zun had a sudden inspiration, "Why don't we all become kings? He can be the emperor of Southern Chu, and you can be the overlord of Western Chu!"

Pengcheng was Xiang Yu's capital back then. Liu Daogui was a descendant of Liu Jiao, the younger brother of Emperor Gaozu of Han and King of Chu, making him far more orthodox than Huan Xuan. However, the title of "Overlord" was simply too much to bear.

Throughout history, only Xiang Yu dared to call himself a hegemon.

"Nonsense! I am a loyal subject of the court. How can I be like Huan Xuan?" Liu Daogui was too lazy to argue with him. "Submit a memorial to Huan Xuan, saying that Tuoba Gui has amassed 200,000 troops in Hebei and is eyeing the Central Plains. Please send troops to resist him or provide him with supplies and weapons!"

Liu Zun laughed heartily: "Huan Xuan has just ascended the throne, isn't this extortion?"

"Don't put it so harshly. We're under a lot of pressure right now. As soon as the weather warms up a bit, Tuoba Gui's troops might come to attack. If we're gone, Huan Xuan won't have a good life either."

Liu Daogui is now essentially the bulwark of the Jianghuai region, resisting Tuoba Gui and Murong De.

Even if we can't get reinforcements, we must let Huan Xuan know that the situation is critical.

He might not support Huai and Si, but he might support Xin Gongjing in Luoyang.

If Luoyang were to fall short of his throne shortly after he became emperor, it would be even more difficult for him to gain the respect of the people.

In addition, Liu Daogui sent people south, also intending to contact his elder brother Liu Yu. The last time He Wuji came, his words revealed what they were plotting.

If an uprising breaks out, even though I can't provide much support, it will still be good to be prepared.

After the memorial was written, Liu Daogui checked it over. If there were no problems, he instructed Meng Ganzhi to send it to Jiankang.

As the weather warmed up day by day, the Wei cavalry began a large-scale raid southwards.

This is an old tradition of the Hu people.

In early spring, when the ice and snow have not yet melted, it is the perfect time for them to set out.

However, Liu Daogui had already fortified his defenses and cleared the fields, so when the Wei army marched south, they were met with fortified villages and cities.

A strict order had been issued previously that anyone who surrendered would have their entire family wiped out, so no one dared to open the city gates and surrender.

As long as they did not surrender, the Wei cavalry had nothing to plunder in the wilderness and basically gained nothing. In fact, several groups of Hu cavalry were ambushed by the troops organized by the Zhechongfu, resulting in the deaths of more than a hundred riders.

Although the gains were not significant, they were very encouraging.

Other military commands followed suit, ambushing the Wei army.

Although the Central Plains are flat, there are many rivers and marshes, and the terrain is complex. In many places, there are no official roads. The Hu people also need to eat, drink, and sleep, and their warhorses need to rest.

So there will always be opportunities.

As more and more Hu cavalry were killed, Liu Daogui kept his promise: one Hu head could be exchanged for three liters of grain. The exchange was conducted by the local Zhechongfu (a military command post), and after the Zhechongduhu (a military governor) verified the information, the grain was recorded and then transported from Pengcheng.

A generous reward will surely attract brave men; these days, grain is worth far more than money.

Three liters of grain is roughly the amount of food a family can eat for a day.

The key point is that the Wei army came on horseback, and the price of a horse was sky-high in those days.

Capture a warhorse, sell it to the military government, and you'll have no worries about food and clothing for two years.

After the news spread, not only did the local soldiers launch attacks in all directions, but the common people also spontaneously organized young men to intercept and kill the Hu cavalry.

In this day and age, if you can't fight, you simply can't survive in the North.

Every household may lack other things, but they have no shortage of bows and knives.

The Wei cavalry that marched south were mostly from nomadic tribes and were not very strong in combat.

The casualties of the Wei army gradually increased, starting with dozens, then more than a hundred. Later, Liu Gai, a hero from Jibei, organized more than 700 local warriors to raid the Hu people's settlement, killing more than 300, capturing 170, and seizing 221 warhorses.

Liu Daogui immediately promoted Liu Gai to the position of Sima of Jibei Commandery.

Those who went into battle were all rewarded with 100 mu of land, with additional rewards for meritorious service. Warhorses were converted into grain at market price and distributed among the troops.

“Liu Gai was also a general of the Northern Army. He came from the Liu family of Dongping and was once a general under Sima Daozi. Huan Xuan slaughtered all the generals, and the Northern Army fled to the north.” Meng Ganzhi quickly figured out the man’s background.

There are too many people with the surname Liu these days; they're everywhere, even the Xiongnu people are joining in the fun.

"So he's one of Liu Gui's men?"

"Yes."

Of the veteran generals of the Northern Army, only Sun Wuzhong and Liu Gui, who fled to Southern Yan, are still alive. "Report! Tuoba Gui is personally leading an army of 70,000 westward, heading straight for Luoyang!" a scout reports from outside.

Previously, Tuoba Hena captured Mengjin, opening the gateway to Luoyang.

Luoyang is of great significance to the world. If the Wei army takes Luoyang, it can use it as a base to join forces with Ye City to the north and west to attack the Central Plains.

Liu Daogui will face even greater pressure.

However, a month passed after the memorial was sent to Jiankang, and no news came back.

When the Jin dynasty was in power, the court reacted to some extent. However, when Huan Xuan established the new dynasty, it was even more chaotic than the Jin dynasty. It was completely without rules and regulations, with its decrees changing frequently and being fickle. Before becoming king, it promoted Taoism and suppressed Buddhism, but after becoming king, it supported Buddhism.

Those who were promoted were all sons of aristocratic families.

This group of people are good at eating, drinking, and having fun, but they know absolutely nothing about governing a country.

The government was essentially paralyzed.

Instead, his elder brother Liu Yu sent a secret letter, telling Liu Daogui to calm down and focus on resisting the Hu people. He said that he could handle the affairs in the south, and that Huan Xuan was currently unable to attend to the Central Plains.

Liu Daogui closed the letter. Judging from his tone, he seemed to be very confident, otherwise he wouldn't be so self-assured.

He has never made a mistake since his debut.

Given the current situation, there's really nothing I can do to help. Tuoba Gui alone is a headache enough, and Murong De is also watching from the east. If I show any signs of being unable to hold on, he will pounce on me without hesitation and tear me apart.

Liu Zun asked, "Should Luoyang still be saved?"

Liu Daogui said, "What are you panicking about? Tuoba Gui is only stationing troops at Mengjin now. Luoyang is not made of clay."

Xin Gongjing and Xiahou Zongzhi work well together and have experience in resisting Yao Xing, so there shouldn't be many problems.

Liu Daogui, on the contrary, felt that Tuoba Gui was using a strategy of besieging the city and attacking reinforcements, deliberately attacking Luoyang while waiting for reinforcements from various places to arrive, or perhaps he was testing Huan Xuan's attitude.

Tuoba Gui was a man who had fought all his life, and every time he made a move, he aimed for the vital points of his opponents.

After Murong Chui's death, he became the most powerful man in the north.

Five days later, the scouts brought back news that Tuoba Gui was leading an army of 60,000 to besiege Jin Yong, Tuoba Hena was leading 30,000 troops to attack Yanshi and other cities, and Changsun Fei was leading 30,000 infantry and cavalry out of Huatai to attack Xingyang.

Jinyong and Yanshi were the eastern and western barriers of Luoyang. Without these two cities, Luoyang would be an isolated city.

"Report! Yanshi has been captured by Tuoba Hena!"

Only seven days later, the scout brought bad news.

"How is Jinyong City?" Liu Daogui asked hurriedly.

"Wei cavalry have blocked all the passages, and our men can't get through."

This was a common tactic of Tuoba Gui. When Murong Bao attacked Wuyuan, Tuoba Gui sent out a large number of scouts to cut off the communication channels between the Yan army and Zhongshan, and spread rumors, which caused the morale of the Yan army to waver.

Tuoba Gui attacked Luoyang, but Liu Daogui felt immense pressure.

The reason he was able to gain a foothold in the two provinces of Yan and Yu was because he relied on Luoyang.

If Luoyang falls into the hands of Tuoba Gui, the Yellow River's water conservancy will be lost, and the Wei army will be able to advance and retreat at will.

Not only were the two provinces of Yan and Yu affected, but the southern provinces of Yu and Yong in the western region were also exposed to the Wei army's advance.

"Submit another memorial to Huan Xuan," Liu Daogui said through gritted teeth.

Now, with the weather freezing cold, the Hu people, who are resistant to the bitter cold, are exhausted. The Northern Army, which came from Jingkou and Pengcheng, could not withstand the cold. By the time they reached Luoyang from Puyang, they were already exhausted and their horses were worn out. They would also face surprise attacks from Wei cavalry at any time along the way...

If it were Huan Wen, he would probably have led his troops north long ago, but Huan Xuan lacked Huan Wen's heroic spirit.

"Report! Magistrate Xin's plea for help has arrived!" A dozen scouts rushed over.

Liu Daogui quickly checked and concluded that it was more likely a suicide note: "Jin Yong has fallen, and Luoyang is now an isolated city. The enemy has besieged the city with over 100,000 troops. I, Xin, am ready to sacrifice myself for the country. Commander, there is no need to come to the rescue. Preserve your strength and avenge me another day..."

The entire text contains not a single word asking for help; in the end, it only asks Liu Daogui to take care of his offspring.

Liu Daogui was deeply distressed. When the Qin army lifted the siege, Xin Gongjing and Xiahou Zongzhi sent their sons to Pengcheng as hostages, partly to strengthen relations between the two sides.

"Where did you get this letter?" Gao Xun asked, staring at the scouts without having read the letter.

“Spies were sent out from the city of Luoyang.”

"Where are the spies?" Gao Xun was always meticulous.

The scout answered honestly, "After sending the letter, I returned to the city."

Gao Xun's eyes flashed. "With over ten thousand Suo barbarians besieging the city, how can a few spies come and go freely?"

"This..." The scouts were all speechless.

"This is none of your business. Men, quickly prepare some hot wine and meat soup for the brothers to warm them up." Liu Daogui waved his hand.

"Thank you, Governor!"

These men were indeed from the scout camp, and the letter was written in Xin Gongjing's handwriting; no one else could have written such a letter.

The problem is, spies can't deliver letters that easily...

Gao Xun said, "It seems that Tuoba Gui deliberately sent out the letter to lure us to support Luoyang. Commander, you must not fall for his trick."

Liu Daogui took a deep breath and slowly said, "No, Luoyang cannot be left unsaved!"

With Luoyang gone, given Tuoba Gui's aggressive approach, he will definitely attack Yan and Yu provinces. If that happens, hundreds of thousands of Wei troops will march south, making the situation even worse and harder to defend...

(End of this chapter)