Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 316 Exhaustion

When the fleet entered Jibei, the previously occupied cities did not need to be attacked; they all retreated upon seeing Liu Daogui's banner.

However, these are all second-rate forces; the main force of Southern Yan is concentrated in Licheng.

Murong De was on high alert. He conscripted 40,000 to 50,000 able-bodied men from Qingzhou and built deep moats and high walls around Licheng, piled up deer antlers one after another, and even blocked the river with three iron chains.

The fortified camps and strongholds on both sides of the strait are connected in one continuous stretch.

The entire city of Licheng is like a tortoise shell, making it impossible to know where to begin.

“That old Murong must be feeling guilty!” Even Liu Zun could see the enemy’s fear.

In the Battle of Fangtou, Liu Daogui suffered heavy casualties, but in the eyes of the Yan army, the Beifu Army fought against three against one, capturing and killing 20,000. In the south, at Bolangsha, Mao Dezhu defeated more than 10,000 Wei infantrymen with a mere 2,000 cavalrymen, which made him famous throughout the world.

Now that they have come with the momentum of a great victory, the Yan army will naturally have to weigh their own strength.

You should know that when Murong De saw Tuoba Gui, he turned around and left.

Tuoba Gui suffered a great loss at Liu Daogui's hands, yet he withdrew his troops amicably, which inevitably made Murong De think of some things.

Soldiers, the country's major events, the place of death and life, the way of survival, must be observed.

Tuoba Gui was wealthy and could afford to lose a battle, but Murong De only had Qingzhou. If he lost, his position as emperor of Southern Yan would be unstable.

Gao Xun said, "Why not cross the river, bypass Pingyuan County in the north, and directly attack Qingzhou!"

Murong De's cowardice inspired everyone's fighting spirit.

When he attacked Qingzhou, he first entered Pingyuan, gathered the remnants of the Yan state, and then suddenly stormed into Qingzhou.

"Our soldiers have been fighting for years and desperately need rest. We do not have the strength to destroy Southern Yan right now, and... Tuoba Gui and Huan Xuan will not sit idly by and watch us annex Southern Yan."

Liu Daogui was not blinded by victory.

In fact, Murong De's choice of this cowardly strategy was very wise.

He has already captured Licheng, blocking the western gateway. His strategic objective has been achieved, so there is no need to fight any longer.

The reason for adopting this posture is actually to make himself back down.

Given his cautious military style, how could he not prepare defenses on the plains?
Liu Zun was unwilling to accept it, "Licheng is gone just like that?"

"It's just a city. If he wants it, let him have it. Nanyang is right here in our backyard. Are we afraid it will run away?"

Murong De didn't want to fight, and Liu Daogui couldn't really continue fighting either.

Ultimately, he just wanted to take advantage of the situation when he couldn't manage both ends.

He had achieved his goal of retaking Licheng.

The Southern Yan was a state established on the basis of the remnants of the Later Yan, and its strength was not bad. Murong De was desperate and resorted to desperate measures, and Liu Daogui was also in a bad situation.

The difficulty of conquering a country is by no means as simple as conquering a few cities.

"Then let's retreat quickly. To be honest, the two concubines I married last year haven't even warmed their beds yet," Liu Zun chuckled.

Liu Daogui glanced at him sideways. "Did I say we would withdraw our troops now?"

Liu Zun was taken aback. "Not retreating again?"

Gao Xun realized what was going on, "The Governor-General wants to weaken the Southern Yan's national strength!"

"Not bad!"

Even if a major battle doesn't break out, we can't just retreat like this. Murong De has gathered 80,000 to 90,000 troops in Licheng, including at least 10,000 cavalry, and their food and supplies consumption is far greater than ours.

With spring planting season fast approaching, agricultural activities across the country will inevitably be affected.

For a small country like Southern Yan, delaying spring planting was fatal.

With Liu Muzhi strategizing in Pengcheng, Liu Daogui need not worry about the rear.

The two forces were vying for power, not only in terms of military strength but also in terms of national strength. Liu Daogui did not believe that Murong De's governance ability could surpass his and Liu Muzhi's.

Since ascending the throne, Murong De has not achieved any significant political accomplishments.

He was just like Murong Chui; he was a master of warfare, but unremarkable in other aspects.

Tuoba Guidu implemented a system of "land allocation based on population," while Liu Daogui first "occupied land" and then established the Fubing system, integrating farming and warfare, and raising soldiers on the land.

Murong De absorbed a large number of the remnants of the Later Yan, and also brought the various problems of the Later Yan to the Southern Yan. It was still the same situation where the royal family was in charge of the army and divided the region into different areas.

Liu Daogui personally believes that the rapid demise of the Former Yan and Later Yan dynasties was inextricably linked to these measures.

The greed of the imperial family and powerful clans was no less than that of the Jiangnan gentry.

Fortunately, Qingzhou was a fertile land, and Biluhun had left behind some wealth; otherwise, Murong De's life would have been even more difficult.

In contrast, Tuoba Gui was far more astute. In a world where the lower classes were not treated as human beings, he devised the policy of allocating land based on population, directly distributing land to the common people.

Although this strategy may have been devised by his advisors, his courage to implement it was unprecedented. The most important quality of a monarch is not strategy, but decisiveness.

Throughout history, there have been many who are good at planning, but few who are good at making decisions.

A wise ruler is one who can find the right path amidst a myriad of complexities...

Liu Daogui said angrily, "Murong De can fight whenever he wants and retreat whenever he doesn't. There's no such thing as an easy thing in the world. This time, I'll make sure he's not dead, but he'll be skinned alive!"

“With so many ethnic groups in the Southern Yan, there are bound to be many conflicts. The governor’s plan is a brilliant strategy!” Gao Xun was completely convinced.

"Issue the order: all the military prefectures around Sishui shall organize the Wutuo Army and storm into the three counties of Xudong. Make sure their fields are barren!" Liu Daogui used the same old trick again.

Although there were 10,000 infantry and cavalry from Murong Town to the south, the three counties east of Xuzhou were covered by a dense network of waterways, which restricted the cavalry and made them less useful than the navy.

Of Murong Zhen's 10,000 troops, it would be good if 4,000 were elite.

The ants kill the elephant.

Within Pengcheng, there are also martial clans such as Liu, Tan, Zhao, Xu, and Dao. In Lanling, there are the Cao and Xiao clans. Over the years, they have been following Liu Daogui, enjoying their wealth and strength.

With Fangtou's great victory already established, there's no need to worry about them not coming to add to the glory.

Liu Zun's eyes darted around, and he cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Give me five thousand veteran soldiers from the Northern Army. If you fail to break through Murong Town, I'll bring you my head!"

"You look so shabby, yet you dream so big. How many Northern Army veterans does the entire Jianwei Military Prefecture have? You ask for five thousand right off the bat, leaving me to starve?"

Liu Daogui was so angry he laughed.

Liu Laozhi's 5,000 Northern Army soldiers defeated the 50,000 Di-Qin army, while Xie Xuan's 7,000 elite Northern Army soldiers won the Battle of Fei River.

Liu Daogui currently has only about seven or eight thousand veterans from the Northern Army under his command, and they are also responsible for guarding Yecheng, Liyang, Huatai, and Pengcheng.

"Three thousand should be enough, right?" Liu Zun settled for second best.

After careful consideration, Liu Daogui concluded that Murong Zhen's forces were indeed a major threat, like a sharp knife pointed at his heart, forming an alliance with Murong De in the north, and threatening key areas such as Lanling and Pengcheng at any time.

This made Liu Daogui very upset.

This time, he took the initiative to stick his head out, which was indeed an opportunity.

"I'll give you a thousand elite troops and three thousand warhorses. You can choose any men and equipment you want. After heading south, join forces with Wang Yuande, Tan, Xu, and Zhao, and together you'll defeat Murong Zhen's army!"

Liu Daogui did not issue a death order, but only asked that he severely damage Murong Town so that Wu Tuo's army could plunder the three counties.

“A thousand elite troops are enough!” Liu Zun’s expression turned unusually serious.

He was unreliable in front of Liu Daogui, but on the battlefield, he was a fierce general.

It wouldn't be difficult for the families in the south to gather a force of ten thousand.

Before Liu Daogui rose to power, they were powerful figures in Xuzhou, sheltering countless refugees from the north. After Liu Daogui's rise, they naturally became staunch supporters due to their kinship and blood ties.

Oranges born in Huainan are oranges, while those born in Huaibei are oranges.

Powerful clans rampantly seized land and people in Jiangzuo, becoming a pest.

These northern noble families, in order to resist the Hu people, still possessed the courage and fighting spirit they needed.

The foundation of the Northern Army actually lies with these Huai-Si Martial Emperors.

Liu Zun may appear rough and tough, but he is not stupid. Of the total of only one thousand men, he selected one hundred and seventy-two Tiger Warriors. The others were also veterans of the Northern Army, and most of them were members of the Liu family.

Including his troops, there were a total of 1,232 people.

Everyone was clad in iron armor and wielded long spears, with crossbows hanging from the back of their horses. Among the three thousand horses, there were a staggering one hundred and fifty-six armored horses. The men were like tigers, and the horses were like dragons. Just standing there was enough to make one's heart tremble.

After the Battle of Fangtou, the Northern Army became even more imposing and fierce.

Throughout history, all elites have been forged on the battlefield.

Where there is a battlefield, there will be an army that has fought a hundred battles!
"Take care, brother, I'm off!" Liu Zun said with a resolute expression.

The way he addressed him as "elder brother" and "younger brother" filled Liu Daogui with emotion. He glanced at the other soldiers and saw Liu Huaijing and Liu Huaimo, the two brothers, among them.

There are also Liu Pingzhi, Liu Elang, and others who have recently distinguished themselves in the army based on their military achievements.

Since ancient times, China has had the tradition of "fathers and sons fighting together, brothers fighting side by side." The fighting power of this force is beyond doubt, and everyone is eager to try, like tigers and wolves with their claws restrained.

Liu Zun took almost half of the Liu family of Pengcheng with him.

"Go!" Liu Daogui waved his hand.

"Victory!" roared the tall and burly Liu Elang.

The horses pounded their hooves, and the crowd roared as they galloped south.

(End of this chapter)