Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 317 Sleepy

Liu Daogui was determined to stay at the Ji River and ordered his soldiers to cultivate the land around the camp, putting on a show of a long-term standoff.

Since Liu Daogui refused to retreat, Murong De dared not leave either.

Eighty to ninety thousand troops remained in the vicinity of Licheng.

As if things weren't bad enough, Yu Yue and Da Xi Jin from the north also came to join the fray, amassing 40,000 troops in the Chongqiu Ge County area north of the Yellow River, eyeing the region with predatory intent.

This forced Murong Dede to mobilize more troops to deal with the threat from Wei.

Although everyone knows that a fight is unlikely.

But one must always be prepared for any eventuality. In this situation, if a weakness is exposed, the enemy will pounce on it like a hungry wolf.

"Report! More than three thousand refugees from Linzi Prefecture have crossed Mount Tai to seek refuge with the Governor!" Meng Ganzhi reported.

Liu Daogui was delighted. "Oh? This is a good thing. Order Liu Guangzhi, the prefect of Taishan, to treat them well and not let them go hungry or cold."

The memorial requesting merits for the generals has not yet been approved, but Liu Daogui, now serving as the military governor of four prefectures, can be appointed as a prefect.

Whether it's approved or not doesn't really matter; Huan Xuan is currently overwhelmed with problems and doesn't care about the Huai and Si rivers anymore.

Xin Gongjing was appointed Prefect of Yingchuan and sent to Xuchang by Liu Daogui. He resisted Tuoba Gui's army of over 100,000 in Luoyang, which made him famous and won the support of the people of Yuzhou.

Liu Daogui also submitted a memorial to the throne to secure the position of Governor of Beiyu Province for him.

Gao Xun had a sudden inspiration: "Now that the Governor-General is renowned throughout the land, why not send spies deep into Qingzhou to spread the word about the benevolent policy of allocating land and houses? The people will surely come to join us, young and old!"

"Brilliant plan!" Liu Daogui immediately agreed.

Although Qingzhou had a large number of Xianbei and other non-Han peoples, it also had a significant number of Jin people.

When Murong De led two to three hundred thousand Xianbei people into Qingzhou and implemented the clan-based enfeoffment system, it inevitably infringed upon the interests of the local tyrants and common people.

In the Huai and Si regions, land was awarded based on military merit and commoners were granted land, ensuring that all people under the jurisdiction could receive land.

Even for slaves, it does not affect their path to promotion.

No era fears poverty, but rather the severing of avenues for upward mobility.

Liu Daogui immediately dispatched the entire scout team and also instructed Cao Ji's merchants to spread the word to various counties and prefectures in Qingzhou, promoting the benevolent policies of the Huai and Si regions.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the State of Qi built the Great Wall on the Taishan Mountains, but after nearly a thousand years of wind and rain, the wall has long since collapsed and is full of holes.

The army could not pass, but the people could.

The mountains actually made it easier to hide tracks, which was not conducive to the pursuit by the Yan army cavalry.

In just half a month, thousands of people from counties bordering Taishan County came to surrender.

As for other counties and prefectures in Qingzhou, the news didn't spread as quickly.

Within the territory, spring plowing has begun under the supervision of Liu Muzhi.

Although there are 30,000 troops confronting Jibei, the threat from Wei to the north and west has temporarily disappeared. In addition, the country has been peaceful in recent years, the population has gradually increased, and a large number of prisoners have been captured and converted into slaves and low-class households, so there are enough people.

Liu Muzhi also manufactured a large number of iron farm tools and purchased a large number of oxen from Jiangzuo, which he rented out to the people free of charge, greatly improving efficiency.

The Sishui and Yingshui river basins have become granaries.

Liu Huaizhen and Xin Gongjing also vigorously carried out land reclamation in Yuzhou.

Under Liu Daogui's rule, there were no so-called "honest officials" in Jiangzuo. The people he appointed were all from poor families. As long as they saw hope for advancement, they all worked diligently.

The upper class has no poor families, and the lower class has no noble families. As social classes become more differentiated, the noble families never set foot on the ground. They are raised in luxury, and as they grow up, they enjoy fine wine, beautiful women, and expensive drugs. Each generation is weaker than the last.

One dies in comfort, but is born in hardship.

The northern nomadic peoples grew stronger, and the rulers became increasingly capable, from Liu Yuan to Shi Le, and then to Fu Jian and Tuoba Gui.

Even the tyrannical Shi Hu, if viewed from the perspective of the Hu people, was actually their enlightened ruler.

If it weren't for Ran Min's valiant fight, the northern lands would have been conquered by the barbarians.

Under the brutal competition and immense pressure to survive, the poor and commoner families in Jiangzuo have become increasingly capable.

Throughout the Jiangzuo region, whether in the military or in local counties, those who truly supported the situation were people from humble backgrounds and commoner families.

If Liu Daogui appoints them on a large scale, the level of governance within the territory will not be too bad.

Only a month had passed, and Murong De was already starting to feel the strain.

They took the initiative to send an envoy to seek peace, saying, "Our lord has no enmity with the governor. Licheng is the gateway to our family and rightfully belongs to us. To show our sincerity, our lord is willing to set aside three cities in the East Sea."

"It's too late for you to say you have no enmity now. I'll take those three cities myself; you don't need to bother."

Liu Daogui had the upper hand completely.

During this period of stalemate, the wounded soldiers have basically recovered, and the soldiers have been eating meat every other day, so their bodies have almost fully recovered.

Grain and fodder were continuously transported from Pengcheng via waterways.

There were also letters from soldiers to their families, all of which encouraged them to fight bravely against the enemy and achieve great deeds.

The Battle of Fangtou, the recapture of Yecheng, and the expulsion of the barbarians to restore our land were no longer just empty slogans; they inspired even the people in the rear.

They were more enthusiastic and more warlike than the soldiers on the front lines.

The longer it drags on, the more advantageous it will be for our side.

The envoy's gaze shifted, "I presume the Commander-in-Chief is also aware that my lord's retreat to Licheng is not due to a lack of strength, but rather to an unwillingness to suffer a bloody defeat. If the Commander-in-Chief pushes his luck further, a great battle will be inevitable. When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. If our two families fight to the death, the Wei people will surely raise an army to invade again, and at that time, we will all perish!"

Liu Daogui sneered, "No need for such nonsense. Go back and tell Murong De that if he has the guts, he should come and fight!"

The more anxious the envoy's words, the more dire Murong De's situation became. Previously, there had been fear that he might resort to desperate measures, but now that the soldiers' morale and physical condition were gradually recovering, Liu Daogui's confidence was growing stronger.

The envoy gritted his teeth and said, "If... the commander-in-chief is willing to withdraw his troops, my lord is willing to cede the entire Donghai prefecture!"

Judging from his expression, this should be Murong De's bottom line.

But Donghai Commandery alone could not satisfy Liu Daogui's appetite.

Moreover, Donghai, Langya, and Dongguan are three counties that are one entity. As long as Murong Town's forces are still around, it is not certain who will control Donghai.

What you gain from the battlefield is the real deal.

Without eliminating Murong Zhen's forces, everything else is just empty talk; the key lies in how well Liu Zun performs.

"Please leave!" Liu Daogui directly ordered him to leave.

No sooner had the messenger left than Meng Gan arrived, "Commander, our spies have made contact with the young general!"

"Young General... Liu Jingxuan?"

Unbeknownst to Liu Daogui, two years had passed since Liu Laozhi's death, and Liu Daogui had almost forgotten this cousin who had sought refuge in the Southern Yan.

Those who followed him to join the Southern Yan included Liu Gui, a veteran general of the Northern Army, as well as Gao Yazhi and Sima Xiuzhi.

"If the governor can hold off Murong De for another three months, they will be able to rise up in response!"

Gao Xun asked, "How many troops does the young general command?"

Meng Ganzhi looked embarrassed. "In total, three hundred of my old subordinates..."

Liu Daogui rolled his eyes. Wasn't this ridiculous?

Three hundred people aren't even enough to fill someone else's teeth.

Liu Daogui still trusted Liu Jingxuan, but he was surrounded by a motley crew of people, including Liu Gui, Gao Yazhi, and Sima Xiuzhi.

What kind of person is Gao Ya? A good-for-nothing, more trouble than he's worth, who dragged Sun Wuzhong down with him and caused the loss of 20,000 elite troops of the Northern Army. Sun Wuzhong is still catching his breath.

Sending him to rebel against Murong De would be tantamount to sending him to his death.

In fact, Liu Jingxuan's abilities were not that great. He had always been under the protection of Liu Laozhi. If he had been more assertive back then and directly led his troops to attack Huan Xuan, would Liu Laozhi have betrayed his only son? He would definitely have taken up arms and fought Huan Xuan.

With the support of the Northern Army, even if they cannot defeat Huan Xuan, they can still stand on equal footing.

Meng Ganzhi chuckled dryly, "The young general's intentions are also heartfelt..."

"Alright, tell him to lie low for now and wait for the right opportunity. Under no circumstances should this matter be revealed, especially not to Gao Yazhi." Liu Daogui waved his hand.

Although the situation in Yan was dire, there were no signs of its demise yet. Murong De's tens of thousands of elite troops were still intact, and Liu Daogui did not have the strength to swallow Yan whole.

The intentions of the Wei army to the north are unpredictable.

Historically, Liu Bei raised an army to avenge Guan Yu, but his camp was burned for eight hundred miles, his elite troops who had fought in the north and south for many years were reduced to ashes, his famous generals died, and the country was in a state of panic. Cao Pi did not listen to Liu Ye's advice and chose to attack Eastern Wu, which ultimately led to his failure.

Liu Daogui and Murong De are locked in fierce battle; it remains to be seen who Tuoba Gui will attack.

Previously, when Tuoba Gui besieged Luoyang, Liu Daogui won a great victory at Fangtou. Normally, people would have retreated and rushed to the aid of Yecheng, but Tuoba Gui did the opposite, forcibly breaking through Luoyang at the cost of tens of thousands of lives.

Therefore, his behavior is really hard to predict.

The likelihood of them attacking us is far greater than that of Murong De.

Murong De's existence has some value. Without Southern Yan, the Yu Yue and Da Xi Jin tribes in Jidong could act more freely, putting Liu Daogui under greater pressure.

Liu Daogui's goal was to weaken Southern Yan and inflict a heavy blow on Murong De, not to achieve a mutually destructive outcome.

After figuring this out, they continued to confront each other while observing the situation in the Yan state.

They waited and waited, but neither the envoy from Yan nor news of Liu Zun arrived. Instead, they received a secret letter from Wancheng.

His elder brother, Liu Yu, was also about to make a move.

This time, the Northern Army is joining forces, preparing to launch a joint uprising in Wancheng, Jingkou, Guangling, Liyang, and Jiankang under the pretext of restoring the Jin Dynasty.

Liu Daogui was ordered to send troops to contain Huan Shisheng's 20,000 Western Army troops in Shouchun.

This secret letter shows that his elder brother Liu Yu did not shut him out, however... the timing seems a bit off.

They are currently engaged in a battle with Murong De, and have already gained the upper hand, forcing Murong De to consider ceding territory and suing for peace.

Retreating at this point would mean losing all previous gains.

"The Left General only has a thousand men, while Huan Xiu has twenty thousand troops!" Gao Xun was shocked after reading the letter.

"There's no need to worry about Wancheng. I'm sure Huanxiu is no match for my brother. It's just that Guangling, Jingkou, Jiankang, and Liyang are all raising troops at the same time. I'm afraid the news might leak out."

The fewer intermediaries involved in a rebellion, the higher the chance of success.

The risk of Liu Yu rallying so many people to start an uprising at the same time was simply too great.

The group of rising stars in the Northern Prefecture were only so-so in terms of skill, and their minds were not aligned.

Gao Xun said, "If we really want to raise an army, why bother with others? With the Commander-in-Chief and the Left General joining forces, who in the world can stand against us?"

Liu Daogui shook his head, "Don't forget the lessons of Wang Dun and Su Jun. Huan Xuan is not made of clay."

Both Wang Dun and Su Jun attempted to capture Jiankang, but were attacked from all sides, ultimately failing at the last hurdle.

"Since the time is not yet ripe, the Commander-in-Chief should quickly send someone to Wancheng to contact General Zuo. It is not too late to raise troops after the Battle of Jibei has ended!"

"It's too late. The people of the Northern Prefecture have been planning this for a long time and can't hold back any longer."

(End of this chapter)