Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 319 Starting

"Chase them! We must catch up with them, we can't let them get away!" Although Wu Fuzhi was riding a warhorse, he was wearing a forty-pound Mingguang armor and carrying a seven or eight-pound long spear, which was also a bit too much for his horse.

Huan Xiu gave him the task of eliminating Liu Yu; if he failed, his future would be ruined.

However, the soldiers were disheartened, saying, "We only have two legs, but the general has four!"

Wu Fuzhi turned around and saw several veteran soldiers from the Northern Army. He immediately became furious. "If Liu Yu could run away, why can't you? If you dare to be lazy again, you will be punished according to military law!"

It was only then that he realized why Liu Yu had been making straw sandals all along...

The soldiers were extremely unwilling, cursing and swearing, but they had no choice but to get up and continue the chase, only to find themselves falling behind.

The Western Army was in slightly better condition, jogging along under the urging of their commanders, but more and more men fell behind or collapsed to the ground.

Some were faking it, while others were genuinely exhausted.

The military advisor Zhu Xiuzhi said breathlessly, "Liu Yu is scheming and we should be wary of a trap. We should gather the scouts and rangers to follow him. We can rest for a few hours before pursuing him."

Feng Zhidao, the vanguard commander, said, "Liu Yu only has a thousand rabble. Are we afraid he will run away? We should reorganize the army immediately, or the army will fall apart."

They didn't even consider Liu Yu's thousand men a threat.

On the contrary, during a forced march, if soldiers fall behind and cannot find their old units, the organization becomes chaotic.

This force was already poorly organized, with a mix of Northern Army and Western Army troops.

The two sides don't even like each other.

Reminded by the two men, Wu Fuzhi suddenly realized his mistake and ordered, "Order the soldiers to rest where they are, and the scouts to follow!"

No sooner had the order been given than dust rose at the front.

Several scouts rushed in, shouting, "Report! General Zuo's troops have turned the tables and are back!"

The voice was sharp and high-pitched, and all the soldiers around were stunned.

"Has Liu Yu gone mad?" Feng Zhi asked, her face filled with disbelief.

Zhu Xiuzhi asked, "Why did he come back?"

"Be on guard!" Wu Fuzhi felt a chill run down his spine. Others might not know who Liu Yu was, but how could he not?

A thousand rabble attacking ten thousand elite troops—only Liu Laozhi twelve years ago and Liu Yu today have such audacity.

But the soldiers remained rooted to the spot, completely bewildered.

It wasn't until Wu Fuzhi shouted several times that they started to move.

The soldiers were exhausted from their long march, which caused further chaos in the army.

The smoke and dust grew closer, and the man at the front, wielding a long sword, moved with the momentum of a galloping horse, shouting, "Liu Yu is here, by the decree of the Jin Emperor, to punish the traitors!"

There was dead silence.

The soldiers stood frozen in place, at a loss, and not a single one of them tried to stop them.

"What are you all standing there for? Defend against the enemy!" Wu Fuzhi roared, brandishing his long spear.

The soldiers reacted in time, but it was too late. Liu Yu had already rushed in front of them, and Wu Fuzhi also raised his long spear and thrust it forward. With a flash of light, the warhorse neighed loudly, and a cloud of blood mist rose up.

Wu Fuzhi and his warhorse fell down together.

Liu Yu laughed heartily, stepped forward, beheaded Wu Fuzhi, and held the head high, shouting, "Why don't you all join me in punishing the traitor and restoring the state!"

The Western Army scattered in disarray, and many of the Northern Army soldiers also fled.

But more than two thousand people remained, shouting in response: "Kill the traitors!"

At this moment, dust billowed from the west, and a large banner with the character "Huan" rapidly approached, with armored soldiers lined up in formation and advancing.

The previously scattered troops have also regrouped under his command.

Although Huan Xiu was a playboy, the generals of his Western Army were not; they were also seasoned veterans.

Upon noticing the disturbance ahead, they immediately charged forward.

Liu Yu was not surprised but delighted, and laughed loudly: "If Huan Xiu had held Wancheng firmly, we would have had to put in some effort. Now that he has come to his death, I will grant him his wish!"

Meng Longfu, Kuai En, Shen Tianzi, Shen Linzi, Ding Wu, and a group of fierce generals led the way with their swords drawn.

The soldiers showed no fear; on the contrary, they were eager to try.

Of these thousand men, 60% were former subordinates of Liu Yu who had fought against the rebels, and they were already accustomed to defeating the many with the few.

Let alone Huan Xiu's more than 10,000 troops, even a hundred thousand troops would charge forward without hesitation as long as Liu Yu gave the order.

"Let's start making a name for ourselves today!" Liu Yu grabbed a warhorse, mounted it, and raised his long sword. "My men, follow me and conquer all!"

Having said that, he took the lead and charged towards the thousands of troops.

"Kill!" The soldiers charged forward like madmen.

The wind picked up, and the faint sound of thunder could be heard from the clouds...

At this time, Jiankang was experiencing frequent spring thunderstorms, and the Jiangzuo region had already entered the plum rain season.

The heavy rain drizzled all day long, without stopping.

Dark clouds hung low in the sky, as if they were about to swallow up Jiankang City.

The weather delayed Huan Xuan's hunting trip and put him in a very bad mood. In addition, he had been restless for the past few days, with his eyelids twitching constantly, as if something big was about to happen.

He lost interest even in fine wine and beautiful women.

After becoming emperor, he did not enjoy the glory that Huan Xuan had imagined.

Previously, with the Sima family protecting him, the mistakes in national governance could not be blamed on him. Now that he has ascended the throne, he is constrained at every turn.

Even those powerful families are becoming less obedient because they're getting too little of the spoils.

During this period, rumors began to circulate that they were getting closer and closer to Liu Yi and Meng Chang, generals of the Northern Army.

"Has anything major happened recently?" Huan Xuan swallowed two pills of Wushi San, then drank some wine to calm himself down, and a surge of heat rose through his body. Bian Fanzhi replied, "Nothing major has happened. The treacherous bandit Lu Xun defeated the Prime Minister of Shixing, Ruan Tianzhi, and has now completely occupied Guangzhou."

After the rebels invaded Guangzhou, they seized tens of thousands of young men and swept away various forces of the imperial court, thus becoming a powerful force.

To quell the demon bandits, a long and arduous expedition would be necessary, and victory was not guaranteed.

The bandit leader once swept across the Wu region, defeating many Northern Army units, demonstrating considerable strength.

If the Chu army were to be defeated, it would be a significant blow to Huan Xuan's prestige.

"Now that it's a new dynasty, send someone to appease them, and I can appoint him as the governor of Guangzhou!" Huan Xuan rubbed his forehead and finally asked the question that had been troubling him most, "How is Wancheng?"

With a deafening roar, a clap of thunder roared.

The hall shook violently.

Bian Fan said, "There should be no major problem. Liu Yu is not a superhuman, and he only has a thousand men. Wu Fuzhi, Zhu Xiuzhi, Liu Tong and others are all veteran generals of the Western Army."

Huan Xuan paced back and forth a few steps, the thunder continuing to rumble, his mind growing increasingly uneasy. "How are Jingkou and Guangling?"

Bian Fan said, "Prefect Liu is currently in the capital on his official duties. Why doesn't Your Majesty summon him to the palace?"

Prefect Liu was Liu Mai, the elder brother of Liu Yi. He came from the Northern Army. After Liu Yu was suppressed, Liu Yi and his third brother Liu Fan gradually rose to prominence in the Northern Army.

He has attracted quite a few people to his side.

Liu Mai submitted to Huan Xuan after Yin Zhongkan's downfall and was highly valued by him.

"Summon him to the palace immediately for a meeting."

Not long after, Liu Mai was summoned by the palace guards. He was soaked to the bone by the heavy rain and looked timid and cowering.

"You are close to Liu Yu, but what is the state of affairs among the people of the Northern Army?" Huan Xuan had no doubts and slowly drank a glass of wine.

A thunderclap, as sharp as lightning, boomed loudly, deafeningly so.

Liu Mai's knees buckled, and he knelt directly on the ground. "Your Majesty... the Northern Army is following Liu Yu in an attempt to rebel!"

With a clang, the golden cup in Huan Xuan's hand fell to the ground.

Liu Yi, Liu Fan, Meng Chang, and Zhuge Changmin all participated in this uprising, making them an important force.

It was agreed beforehand that Liu Yu would raise an army in Wancheng, Zhuge Changmin and Liu Fan would raise an army in Liyang, Liu Yi and Meng Chang would raise an army in Guangling, and He Wuji and Liu Huaisu would take action in Jingkou, in order to protect the families of the Northern Army.

Liu Mai, Xin Huxing, and Zhou Anmu carried out their plan in Jiankang, directly assassinating Huan Xuan.

But when Huan Xuan asked him this question, Liu Mai thought that the matter had been exposed, and he was so frightened that he blurted everything out.

"A bunch of lowly slaves! Issue an order to immediately arrest Xin Huxing and Zhou Anmu, and behead them in the street as a warning to others. Order Fu Hong to immediately rush to the aid of Liyang. Huangfu Fu shall lead the army to attack Jingkou and Guangling, and capture Liu Yi, Meng Chang, He Wuji, and Liu Huaisu. I want them to be torn to pieces!"

Huan Xuan's fat face trembled violently.

Bian Fanzhi cautioned, "The chief culprit is Liu Yu. If he is eliminated, the other forces are not a threat!"

"Wancheng has 20,000 troops, it shouldn't be that bad..."

Huan Xuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and stared wide-eyed at Bian Fanzhi.

"Report! Zhuge Changmin has started a rebellion in Liyang and has been captured by General Diao Kui. He is currently being escorted to Jiankang!"

The eunuch reported this from outside the palace.

Huan Xuan felt a sense of relief.

But soon came devastating news: "Report—Meng Chang, in league with Liu Yi, lured and killed Prefect Huan, and Guangling has fallen into the hands of the bandits!"

Before they could even catch their breath, another piece of bad news arrived: "He Wuji and Liu Huaisu, together with Tan Pingzhi, Tan Zhi, and Tan Shao, uncle and nephew, have raised an army in Jingkou and have already occupied the entire city!"

Huan Xuan plopped down on the soft couch, his eyes vacant.

What you fear most is what happens. Guangling and Jingkou are the foundation of the Northern Army, and they can command a large following with a single call.

Bian Fanzhi quickly advised, "The situation is urgent! Your Majesty should swiftly arrest the former members of the Northern Army in Jiankang. With the important towns of Liyang, Jiankang, Shouchun, and Hefei in hand, and surrounded from all sides, the Northern Army will surely be defeated!"

Although Guangling and Jingkou rebelled, the rebellions in Liyang and Jiankang were quelled.

Huan Xuan held an army of over 100,000 men, with Jingzhou and the western part of the capital intact, and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River under his control. The Northern Army was not in a superior position.

The rebellion can be quelled by a combined land and sea offensive, quickly suppressing the rebellions in Jingkou and Guangling.

"No, the most urgent task right now is to stop Liu Yu and Liu Daogui!" In this critical moment, Huan Xuan's mind became clear.

The real core of this rebellion is Liu Yu. As long as we block him, even if the rebellion in Jingkou and Guangling is not quelled for the time being, it will not be a big deal.

These two cities are located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The Xifu navy could easily quell them by sailing down the river.

Conversely, if either Liu Yu or Liu Daogui were to return to Jingkou, the situation would be hopeless, and no one would be able to stop them!
The reason is simple: the rising stars of the Western Army were just a bunch of newborn calves who had not experienced any fierce battles. They were not even as good as the veteran generals of the Northern Army, such as Sun Wuzhong, Zhuge Kan, Gao Su, and Zhu Langzhi.

Liu Yu and Liu Daogui earned their current positions entirely through hard work and battles...

The reputation of being a fierce tiger and a crouching dragon is well-deserved.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it. Liu Yu's thousand men may have already been captured by the General of the Army..." Bian Fanzhi trailed off, unable to continue.

Who among those present did not know who Liu Yu was?
With only three or four thousand men, they annihilated hundreds of thousands of demon bandits, forcing Sun En to commit suicide by jumping into the sea.

"This is not an overreaction, but rather a precaution. Order Fu Hong to immediately head north and join forces with Feng Gai of Xiangyang to attack Liu Yu from both sides! Also, order Huan Shisheng to hold Shouchun firmly and protect our family's foundation!"

Huan Xuan was so anxious that his forehead was covered in sweat.

Before news from Wancheng even reached him, he had already prepared for the worst.

Huan Xiu was no match for Liu Yu, and the north might have already been defeated. He only hoped that Huan Xiu could preserve his elite troops, hold Wancheng, and wait for Feng Gai and Fu Hong's reinforcements to arrive.

Bian Fanzhi's eyes darted around. "Liu Yu alone is not a big deal. Our army can attack from all sides. Even if we can't defeat him, we can still stop him north of the river. If Liu Daogui's army marches south, the situation will be reversed."

"Do you have any good ideas?"

"We still need to rely on Murong De."

(End of this chapter)