Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 314 Collection

"I am ashamed that Luoyang fell into the hands of the enemy. I have no face to see the Governor!" Xin Gongjing said, tears streaming down his face.

Liu Daogui quickly comforted him: "Lord Xin, with over ten thousand old and weak men, resisted Tuoba Gui's 150,000-strong army for three months, killing and wounding twenty thousand Suo barbarians, thus enhancing the prestige of our China. What is there to be ashamed of?"

In fact, Luoyang had been defended, but the Battle of Fangtou spurred Tuoba Gui to disregard casualties and finally breach the city.

It can be said that they were still honorable despite their defeat.

Anyone else would have surrendered long ago.

Before the Battle of Fangtou, Tuoba Gui was invincible and at the height of his power.

As a scholar, he resolutely resisted to the end; such courage is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Xin Gongjing's expression improved somewhat. "It's a pity Luoyang is gone. The gates to the Central Plains are wide open, and the enemy cavalry can come and go as they please..."

"When soldiers come, we will block them; when water comes, we will dam it. Why worry about the future? The Battle of Fangtou has already weakened them. They will need at least three or four years to recover, and they may not be able to spare the resources to deal with us after that. Don't forget, Wei has more than just us as its enemies."

Liu Daogui is very optimistic.

The Battle of Fangtou was of great significance, not only damaging the vitality of the Wei state but also thwarting Tuoba Gui's ambition to conquer the Central Plains.

He was a smart man; he didn't have the energy to go south before dealing with the Rouran and Hebei.

And this process will take much longer than three or four years.

He massacred 50,000 surrendered soldiers at Canhebei, and Hebei has yet to rejoin him.

No one can say for sure what the world will be like in three or four years.

Three or four years ago, the State of Wei had just won the Battle of Canhebei, and in the blink of an eye, it swept through Hebei.

"Now that you say that, I feel a little better. If we ever recover the Central Plains, don't forget this old man!" Xin Gongjing was old in age but young at heart.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "Master Xin, you can rest assured, this day will not be too late!"

"Governor..." Liu Huaizhen knelt on one knee.

Liu Daogui quickly helped him up, saying, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, there's no need to worry about it. Brother, you fought against four generals of Wei all by yourself, and although you lost, you are still honorable."

The slide was bound to be lost.

At that time, Liu Daogui was fighting Huan Xuan in Hefei. Wei launched a feint attack, disregarding the alliance, and suddenly attacked, using the same strategy that Murong Chui used to attack Huatai. Liu Huaizhen only had four or five thousand men, half of whom were young men recruited temporarily, so he was no match for them.

Liu Huaizhen said, "If I hold out and do not come out, I can hold out for several months. It's just a pity for those brothers who sacrificed their lives."

"There will be plenty of time in the future, and we will have a chance to avenge this." Liu Daogui patted him on the shoulder.

The number of soldiers who were released was as many as four thousand.

Those who survive the bloody battles to the end are undoubtedly warriors.

Liu Daogui incorporated them all into the Jianwei Central Army.

After a few days of rest, the spring sun shines brightly, and the earth warms up.

Tuoba Guizhen turned back to Pingcheng, not even glancing at Yecheng, which was sparsely defended.

Liu Daogui also left Shen Qingzhi with 3,000 men to defend Yecheng, and Liu Zhong's navy to guard Fangtou.

It's not that we don't want to keep more troops in Ye City, but if we have more troops, we will have to increase the supply of food and military supplies. To support one medium-sized soldier, we need the land tax of at least twenty-five farmers, and if it is a cavalryman, it is fifty people.

Therefore, Liu Daogui had no choice but to fill the population of Ye City.

Currently, there are still many undeveloped lands in Yanzhou, and Yecheng simply doesn't have the resources to manage them.

The key is that Ye City is right under Tuoba Gui's nose, with almost no natural defenses, so managing it would only benefit others.

Therefore, it was decided to treat it as a military city, focusing the defense on Fangtou and Liyang. Both of these were ferry crossings, connected to Puyang, and could also deter Huatai, making them relatively easier to defend.

Changsun Fei's more than 10,000 troops remained in Huatai. Although it was an isolated city, it was like a nail driven into the Central Plains, posing a great threat.

After arranging the defenses, Liu Daogui returned to Pengcheng by boat.

Although Luoyang was lost, the gains were immense. It temporarily curbed Wei's ambition to expand into the Central Plains, enhanced its prestige, and boosted the morale of the Jin people in the north.

If you win on the battlefield, you'll have everything.

Lian Huanxuan set aside his past arrogance and promoted himself to General of the Vanguard and Marquis of Pei, making him the military commander of the four provinces of Ji, You, Bing, and Qing...

His state of Chu was "abdicated" to the Jin dynasty, so it had legal basis and legitimacy. No matter who came to power in the future, Liu Daogui's status would not be affected.

"Report—Changsun Fei of Huatai has abandoned the city and fled with the help of Tuoba Yi."

Upon arriving in Puyang, the scouts brought back good news.

Liu Daogui slapped the railing and laughed: "They do have good eyesight!"

Huatai was bordered by Liyang and Fangtou to the north, Puyang to the east, Kaifeng to the south, and Hulao Pass to the west. It was essentially a dead end. The unsealing of the Yellow River further severed its connection with the State of Wei.

If Changsun Fei doesn't leave now, and Liu Daogui takes a few months to recuperate, he won't be able to leave even if he wanted to.

The State of Wei had little interest in even Ye City, let alone Huatai.

Their capture of Luoyang greatly diminished the significance of Huatai.

After witnessing the strength of the Northern Army in the Battle of Fangtou, the Wei army became less arrogant than before.

Xin Gongjing said regretfully, "If we could keep this man, we would have removed one of Tuoba Gui's arms!"

Liu Zun also became interested, "Why don't we follow with the main army and take the opportunity to recapture Luoyang! My brother's troops have also arrived in Wancheng!"

“Those are Huan Xiu’s troops, not my brother’s. Our army has suffered heavy casualties and we do not have the strength to keep him here. Changsun Fei is a meritorious official of Wei. Once a major battle begins, it will affect the whole country. Tuoba Gui will surely bring the entire army of the country to make a comeback.”

He was in Luoyang and didn't know Liu Daogui's background.

In war, the worst thing is for the conflict to drag on endlessly, wearing down both sides.

If the opponent were only Wei, that would be fine, but the problem is that they are surrounded by wolves and tigers.

Therefore, the best option for both parties is to stop at a point.

As for Huan Xiu's 20,000 troops, they have been stuck in Wancheng and have not made any progress. Expecting him to recapture Luoyang is simply wishful thinking.

With this small force, they couldn't even take Yique, let alone attack Luoyang.

“The Governor is absolutely right. After years of fighting, the soldiers are exhausted and need to rest and recuperate.” Xin Gongjing did not insist any further.

The fleet turned directly towards the ski slope.

Changsun Fei left in a great hurry, but he didn't do anything drastic. He even left behind more than two thousand head of livestock and several thousand bushels of grain.

The scouts reported that he entered Luoyang from Xuanyuan Pass, bypassing Xingyang.

Luoyang's eight gates were locked. Hangu Pass was in the hands of the Qin army, Hulao Pass was in the hands of Mao Dezhu, and the other gates, Yique, Xuanyuan, Dagu, Mengjin, and Pingjin, were all captured by Tuoba Gui.

Changsun Fei had many routes in and out of Luoyang.

"The sliding platform is now in your hands." Liu Daogui reiterated his appointment of Liu Huaishen to guard the area.

Among the Liu clan of Pengcheng, the most talented were the brothers Liu Huaisu and Liu Huaishen, as well as Liu Zhong.

A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit; experiencing some setbacks is not necessarily a bad thing.

A person who has never suffered a loss in their life may suffer a major setback and never recover.

Previously, he had been stationed here, where he recruited refugees, reclaimed wasteland, and trained soldiers, achieving considerable success.

"With such trust from the Governor, I will repay you with my life..." Liu Huaizhen's face was full of emotion.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "Do brothers need to talk about this?"

Just then, a commotion broke out outside, and a scout shouted, "Commander, something has happened to the east!"

(End of this chapter)