Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 311 Conspiracy

At this time, Jiangzuo was already full of spring.

Compared to the bitter cold of the north, the Jiangnan region was much warmer, and the gentry and celebrities gathered at the scenic Xinting to perform the custom of purification rituals.

Jiangzuo remained the same Jiangzuo, unchanged much despite Huan Xuan's usurpation.

Before Huan Xuan usurped the throne, he also worked hard to govern and reorganize the government, but he found that his decrees were not taken seriously by his subordinates.

Most of the aristocratic families in the court paid lip service to him, while the local powerful families ignored him.

Even the Huan brothers led the way in embezzlement and illegal activities, seizing land, while their strategist Bian Fanzhi and confidant Yin Zhongwen both acquired luxurious mansions.

In this situation, even the emperor of Chu was powerless to do anything but turn a blind eye, indulging in pleasure, hunting without restraint, and reveling all night long.

As a result, the government became increasingly neglected, and the people grew increasingly dissatisfied.

When Huan Xuan ascended the throne, a large number of powerful families in the western region rose to prominence on the basis of the existing aristocratic families. The burden on the people became heavier and heavier. The aristocratic families and powerful clans were like wild horses. The rich owned vast fields, mountains, rivers and ponds, while the poor had nowhere to stand, their wives and children were separated, and they starved to death in the streets.

This has led many people to miss the Sima family, because at least when the Sima family was in power, they could still have food to eat, and the situation wasn't so dire.

"I intend to launch a northern expedition against Luoyang and fight Tuoba Gui to the death. What do you all think?" Huan Xuan lay sprawled on the imperial couch, his jeweled crown askew, showing no trace of the demeanor of a monarch.

Tuoba Gui besieged Luoyang for more than two months without being able to break through, which gave him a glimmer of hope.

The Wei army seems to be nothing special.

After the Northern Expedition succeeds, the various problems in Jiangzuo will be alleviated, and Huan Xuan's throne will be secured.

The most crucial thing is reputation. By defeating Tuoba Gui, Huan Xuan will become famous throughout the world, and his status in history books will surpass that of his father, Huan Wen.

On the surface, Huan Xuan now has a strong army, with 70,000 elite troops from the Western Army, 50,000 naval troops, and 50,000 elite troops from the Northern Army. With a single imperial edict, the various military prefectures can raise more than 100,000 military households, which is enough to make him able to march north and compete with Tuoba Gui.

Bian Fanzhi hurriedly advised, "Absolutely not! The country has just been established, and the rebels have seized Guangzhou. If we launch a northern expedition, the rebels will return and plunder the Jiangnan region. Moreover, the treasury is empty and there is no way to support the food and provisions of more than ten large armies."

Huan Qian also advised, “The sage kings plowed in spring and hunted in autumn. Now it is late spring. Your Majesty should appease the people and reissue the land reclamation decree to encourage them to cultivate wasteland.”

“Food is the most important thing for the people. This move will greatly benefit the world and save millions of people in Jiangzuo. It is a great deed!” Wang Yu immediately agreed.

Other officials who rose from the ranks of soldiers also sang his praises.

While the land seizure order was a good thing, ordinary people could never "seize" land from the powerful clans and gentry.

Huan Qian's original intention was good, but nowadays, no matter what decrees the court issues, the powerful clans will find loopholes to take advantage of and seize land and people.

Huan Xuan rolled his eyes, revealing a pair of disdainful eyes. "We'll discuss the matter of occupying land later. Today we're talking about the Northern Expedition. General Liu, what's your opinion?"

Liu Yu, who was sitting at the end of the table, bowed and stepped forward. "I believe we should launch a northern expedition. Tuoba Gui has been stationed in Luoyang for a long time. His men and horses are exhausted and cannot last long. If Your Majesty marches north in a grand manner, Tuoba Gui will surely be afraid of the elite troops of the Northern and Western Armies and retreat."

Once the great battle begins, the Northern Army will be put to use, and Liu Yu will have a chance to prove himself.

This is also a good thing for the newly established state of Chu.

Even if they can't win, with all armies attacking at once, Tuoba Gui won't be able to hold out.

This was good for the Northern Army and the State of Chu, but not for the aristocratic families. Huan Xuan won and established his prestige, so the aristocratic families would have to live timidly from then on.

If he loses, Huan Xuan will definitely reach out to the major powerful families.

Therefore, Wang Yu immediately stepped forward and said, “You must not speak nonsense about such important military and national affairs. War is a matter of great importance to the country and must be carefully considered. The people of Jiangzuo have suffered from war for a long time and are tired of war. They are not worthy of being driven. A hasty northern expedition will only incite a popular uprising.”

The term "popular uprising" is a blatant threat.

The "people" that Wang Yu spoke of were not the starving and freezing commoners of Jiangzuo. In the eyes of the powerful, they were not even human beings, but just a group of "lowly people".

Huan Xuan yawned. He had spent the whole night at the banquet with several Hu women, and his energy was already depleted.

Seeing so many people opposing him, he lost interest in persisting.

Whether he launched the Northern Expedition or not, it didn't affect his carefree and romantic life.

He was never a man of strong will. He saw the flaws in the court but was powerless to reverse the situation. His former ambitions were worn away by women and the Five-Stone Powder.

"Is there anything else? If not, then let's adjourn the court." Huan Xuan could barely lift his eyelids.

He hadn't originally intended for anything to happen.

The Taiji Hall is all for show; the real decision-making place is the East Hall.

Just as the court was about to adjourn, a eunuch outside the hall shouted: "Your Majesty, a great victory! A great victory at Fangtou! General Jianwei has utterly defeated the 40,000-strong army of Tuoba Hena, Changsun Fei, and Gongsun Biao, capturing and killing 20,000!"

The sound of a pin drop could be heard immediately in the hall.

With a clang, Wang Yu's white jade tablet fell to the ground and broke into two pieces.

But by this time, no one was paying attention to his scepter.

Huan Xuan straightened up, his drowsiness vanishing from his face, but his eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions as he looked at Liu Yu.

I used to disbelieve the stories of "fierce tigers and crouching dragons" that circulated among ordinary people, but now I have no choice but to believe them.

The Wei Kingdom swept across the north, almost without a single defeat. After Tuoba Gui won the Battle of Chaibi, he became even more arrogant, but now he is in Liu Daogui's hands... This is not a sleeping dragon, but a real dragon!
After this battle, the situation in the world has changed, and this true dragon directly threatens Huan Xuan's position.

Tuoba Gui could only occupy the Central Plains at most, and without a navy he could not cross the river, so he was helpless against Jiangdong, but Liu Daogui had everything.

Moreover, his rise will reignite the Northern Army's momentum.

While everyone was stunned, Wang Mi slowly said, "Such a great victory is not only the good fortune of General Jianwei, but also a blessing from His Majesty. He must be rewarded to reassure the soldiers in the north."

If no reward is given, it would be tantamount to shutting out the Jianwei Military Prefecture and forcing them to oppose the imperial court.

Huan Xuan understood immediately. Since he had no intention of launching a northern expedition and wanted to maintain a precarious peace in Jiangzuo, he had to keep Liu Daogui in check.

Moreover, such great achievements cannot be concealed.

If he doesn't grant the title, not only will the Northern Army become disloyal, but the Western Army will also complain.

The Northern Expedition was the greatest moral imperative of this era.

"Liu Daogui, the General of Jianwei, is promoted to General of the Vanguard, General of the Northern Central Army, Governor of Yanzhou, and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of Ji, Bing, You, and Qing provinces. He is also enfeoffed as the Marquis of Pei County with a fief of one thousand households!"

Huan Xuan went all out this time, even bringing out the title of General of the Vanguard and the title of Founding County Marquis.

Glancing sideways at Liu Yu, he said, "Promote General Jianwu Liu Yu to Left General, commanding a thousand of his old troops as the vanguard, while Huan Xiu, the Northern Commander and General of the Army, will lead thirty thousand elite troops to reinforce Luoyang!"

He couldn't stay still at this point.

No one understood the significance of Fangtou better than him; if they captured this place, Yecheng would be within their grasp.

Tuoba Gui of Luoyang will definitely retreat.

If Huan Xuan sends troops to support Luoyang at this time, he can easily get a share of the spoils from Liu Daogui's bowl.

Huan Xuan had enough to boast about for months for repelling Tuoba Gui's 150,000-strong army.

"Your subject obeys!" Liu Yu bowed with his hands clasped, his eyes gleaming with barely concealed sharpness.

After lying low for so long, I've finally gotten this opportunity.

A thousand people can do nothing in the hands of others, but in his hands they can dominate the world!

After the court meeting ended, Huan Xiu stayed behind and had a private conversation with Huan Xuan, Huan Qian, and Bian Fanzhi in the East Hall.

"Liu Yu is a man with the bearing of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, and he has the appearance of a disloyal subject. Even if Your Majesty does not kill him, you must not let him command troops!" Huan Xiu had a bitter face even before the expedition began.

Bian Fanzhi also said, "If Your Majesty is wary of Liu Daogui, you can simply send another capable general north. Why use a fierce tiger? If a fierce tiger gains power, it will surely turn on its master!"

"Do I not know that Liu Yu is a fierce tiger? I am sending you alone to deal with Tuoba Gui. Are you willing?" Huan Xuan looked at Huan Xiu with anticipation.

"This..." Huan Xiu's expression changed. He was Huan Chong's third son, but he had not inherited any of Huan Chong's talents.

Huan Xuan rolled his eyes. "He only has a thousand men, while you have twenty thousand. If there is any unusual movement, you can execute him first and report later. In addition, I will transfer my fierce general Wu Fuzhi to you!"

His four most capable generals were Feng Gai, who guarded Xiangyang; Fu Hong, who guarded Jiujiang; Huan Zhen, who remained in Jiangling; and Huangfu Fu, who was stationed in Jiankang.

No one can be touched.

Last year, Feng Gai led his troops into Runan, and Yu Ze immediately started a rebellion. Even Huan Xuan's nephew, Huan Liang, was taking advantage of the chaos in Changsha.

"With Wu Fuzhi around, there's nothing to worry about!" Huan Xiu breathed a sigh of relief.

His 20,000 troops consisted of half elite troops from the Western Army and half veteran soldiers from the Northern Army whom he had recovered.

Liu Yu had complete control over the provisions and supplies for his thousand men, ensuring their safety.

"What does Your Majesty intend to do with Liu Daogui? This man has become too powerful to control." Among the Huan family's sons, only Huan Qian has some talent.

Huan Xuan paced back and forth, his brows furrowing and relaxing intermittently. He said to Huan Xiu, "Remember, after entering Luoyang, take control of the city directly and strip Xin Gongjing of his military power. This man and Liu Daogui are mutually supportive; it is advisable to eliminate him first, removing his arm and weakening his power. With Luoyang, Wancheng, Shouchun, and Hefei in hand, the Huai and Si regions will be powerless. The Central Plains are a battlefield of a hundred battles. After this battle, we will have a blood feud with the Wei Kingdom. Tuoba Gui will certainly not give up and will fight again in the future. We only need to stand by and watch!"

Huan Xuan was able to defeat Yin Zhongkan, Yang Quanqi, Xi Hui, and Sima Yuanxian, demonstrating his keen insight and skillful tactics.

Even if Liu Daogui wins the Battle of Fangtou, the predicament of being surrounded by enemies on all sides will not be alleviated, and may even become more severe.

The loss of 40,000 elite troops by the Wei Kingdom only weakened its vitality, not its foundation. As long as it held Dai Commandery and Mobei, the Wei Kingdom would not lack manpower.

However, Liu Daogui made a mortal enemy, and from then on, he would fight the State of Wei to the death.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Bian Fanzhi cupped his hands and said, "I have a plan to weaken Liu Daogui."

Huan Xuan became interested. "Oh? What's the plan?"

“Liu Daogui’s enemies are not just Tuoba Gui’s family. With this man in power, there are people who are even more distressed than us…” Bian Fanzhi’s face was full of sinister intent.

Internal strife is something everyone present is an expert at.

(End of this chapter)