Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 321 Temptation

After Feng Cheng left, Gao Xun said, "Murong De must be up to something!"

"You're oversimplifying things. If I'm not mistaken, Murong De might have reached some kind of agreement with Huan Xuan!"

The Jiangzuo forces have never had much interest in the North.

Huan Chu succeeded the Jin dynasty, but the essence remained the same despite the change in name.

In those days, the banks of the Yellow River were inhabited by nomadic peoples. The states of Wei, Southern Yan, and Yao Qin were all quite powerful, and Huan Xuan had no intention of launching a northern expedition.

Therefore, Liu Daogui, who was wholeheartedly dedicated to expelling the barbarians and recovering the Central Plains, became a thorn in their side.

They were unwilling to launch a northern expedition, and they couldn't bear to see others succeed in their northern expeditions.

Gao Xun sighed, "Huan Xuan colluded with the Hu people, isn't he afraid of incurring the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people..."

Liu Daogui said, "He's in a terrible predicament right now, desperate and grasping at straws, how could he care about these things?"

"Huan Chu is even worse than the Jin Dynasty. Since Murong De has ulterior motives, let's continue the standoff and wear him down until he's exhausted and torn apart!"

"No, we must head south. Zhuge Changmin and Liu Mai's uprising has failed, my brother is still in Wancheng, and he can't reach us from afar. The situation in Jingkou and Guangling is critical."

"What about Murong De? If we make a move, he will definitely make a move!"

"Then defeat him first, so that he dares not look south! Order Liu Guangzhi, Mao Dezhu, Shen Qingzhi, Xiao Chengzhi, and Tan Daoji to each lead their elite troops to Jibei to prepare for a great battle!"

The situation was very clear: if Liu Daogui wanted to go south to rescue Jingkou, he had to deal with Murong De.

The two provinces of Yan and Qing are geographically close, and Murong De has even extended his influence east of Xu Province, creating a situation where the two sides are locked in a life-or-death struggle.

Murong De would not let this golden opportunity slip by.

Even if it were Liu Daogui, he wouldn't give up so easily.

Inside the camp, the soldiers began packing their belongings.

News also came from Licheng on the opposite side that Murong De had led 30,000 elite troops to retreat eastward.

Liu Daogui immediately dismissed the troops from various prefectures and sent them back to guard their homelands, while he led only 7,000 elite troops onto a southbound cargo ship.

As long as the army remains intact, that old dog Murong De will not show his face.

One day, two days, three days later, the fleet had moved from the Ji River to the Huan Gong Canal.

Scouts of the Yan army could be faintly seen on both sides of the river.

On the fourth day, the fleet entered the Si River from the Huan Gong Canal.

Although everyone knew that Murong De would definitely make a move, they couldn't be sure when.

The situation in the south was becoming increasingly unfavorable. Liu Yu's four thousand elite troops from the Northern Army were blocked at Xiangcheng by Feng Gai and Fu Hong.

Jingkou was besieged by Huangfu Fu. Liu Huaisu mobilized the elders of Jingkou to defend the city, and only then did they barely manage to withstand the fierce attack of the Chu army.

Liu Yi and Meng Chang of Guangling were blockaded on the Yangtze River by the Western Army and could only hold their ground and not come out.

"Could it be that we guessed wrong? Is Murong De truly willing to cease hostilities?" Gao Xun became increasingly uncertain.

At present, Xiao Chengzhi and Shen Qingzhi's 5,000 troops have arrived in Puyang.

Mao Dezhu's 1,500 cavalrymen and Tan Daoji's 2,000 troops entered Dong'e. Liu Guangzhi also selected 2,000 young men, making up a force of 3,000, and they entered Chixian without anyone noticing.

Jibei has become a huge pit, just waiting for Murong De to jump in.

Meng Gan said, "Murong De has indeed returned to Guanggu and is hunting down our spies everywhere to appease the people. Now, news from Qingzhou can no longer be sent out."

"Murong De is a veteran general; he won't act until he sees the benefit. He won't make a move unless we do. Send the order for the army to march south immediately and take care of Shouchun first!"

An old man who doesn't die is a thief. The Murong family killed each other, so Murong De was able to live to sixty-eight and have the last laugh. He must not be a fool.

With a major battle imminent in the south, he was in no hurry to make a move.

With time running out, Liu Daogui could only take things one step at a time. If he didn't come out, the only option was to take Shouchun first.

The Si River originates from the Taishan Mountains, draws an arc across the Central Plains, and flows south into the Huai River.

The fleet sailed directly from Pengcheng into the Huai River, and the army set foot on the land south of the Huai River.

Liu Daogui led his armored soldiers to the moat of Shouchun. More than a thousand men shouted towards the city walls, "Liu Daogui of the Northern Army is here! Why don't you open the city gates immediately!"

The city walls were completely silent; not a single person could be seen.

"What's wrong with Tong Houzhi?" A feeling of unease suddenly welled up in Liu Daogui's heart.

Meng Ganzhi wiped the sweat from his face. "I sent someone to deliver a message three days ago."

Just then, a human head was thrown from the city wall, and a man laughed loudly: "I am Huan Shisheng. Could it be that the former general was waiting for this person?"

The head fell to the ground and rolled several times.

His face was directly facing Liu Daogui.

Meng Ganzhi exclaimed in surprise, "Tong Houzhi!"

Liu Daogui frowned, not expecting to encounter a setback at the very first step of his southward journey.

Few of the so-called rising stars in the Northern Army are actually capable of making it to the forefront.

Prime ministers must rise from local government positions, and fierce generals must emerge from the ranks. These rising stars, such as Liu Yi, Meng Chang, and Liu Mai, have not experienced much bloody battle and are inevitably no match for the veteran generals of the previous generation of the Northern Army.

Zhuge Changmin and Liu Fan raised an army in Liyang, but were instead controlled by Diao Kui.

Before Liu Mai could even make a move, he and Xin Huxing were both killed by Huan Xuan...

The timing of this coup was also wrong.

Tong Houzhi was also a man who hesitated between two options. When Huan Xuan led his troops north to attack Pengcheng, Liu Daogui marched south and passed through Pengcheng, advising him to coordinate an attack from within and without. However, Tong Houzhi began to have his own ulterior motives...

Shouchun was already a fortified city, and now that Tong Houzhi has been killed, the hope of breaching the city with only a few thousand men is extremely slim...

Huan Shisheng stood on the city wall, full of pride. "Liu Daogui, you still dare to go south? Don't you even look behind you? I advise you to go back soon, or Pengcheng will no longer be yours!"

Gao Xun was both shocked and furious. "What did you say?"

"Hahaha..." Huan Shisheng's figure disappeared behind the battlements.

Just then, a scout came galloping from the east, reporting... 20,000 elite Yan cavalry have left Muling Pass, joined forces with Murong Zhen, and are launching a surprise attack on Pengcheng!

"what?"

The surrounding officers and soldiers were all horrified.

Murong De's mind wasn't on Jibei at all; instead, he went in a circle, heading south from Muling Pass, advancing swiftly with light cavalry, and launching a surprise attack on Pengcheng, delivering a fatal blow. This man's ambitions were indeed considerable.

One Jibei County was simply not enough to satisfy their appetite.

Cavalry is a strategic force, and its advantage lies in its ability to strike unexpectedly and catch the enemy off guard...

Although Pengcheng had troops stationed there, as well as generals like Liu, Tan, Zhao, and Xu, the supply lines were definitely cut off.

This is where the cavalry's advantage lies.

Shouchun and Pengcheng are separated by Pei County, which is nearly 500 li apart, and the grain and fodder on hand cannot last that long.

As expected, before everyone could catch their breath, several more scouts came galloping in, reporting, "The Yan army has cut off our supply lines!"

Snap, snap, snap...

Liu Daogui clapped his hands, "Huan Xuan and Murong Decai are working together seamlessly from the inside and outside!"

"Commander, our army's supply lines have been cut off. What should we do?" Everyone looked over.

"If Murong De had remained in Qingzhou, we would have been helpless. But now that he has come out, we might as well wipe him out! Back then, Commander Xie dared to attack hundreds of thousands of Di-Qin troops with only seven thousand elite soldiers. Do you all lack the courage?"

Liu Daogui remained calm.

The situation isn't actually that serious.

As long as Murong De appears, the generals in the north, including Liu Guangzhi, Mao Dezhu, Shen Qingzhi, Xiao Chengzhi, and Tan Daoji, will not stand idly by; they will simply shift the trap to Pengcheng.

Even with 20,000 to 30,000 troops, Murong De couldn't possibly break through Pengcheng!

As expected, everyone calmed down.

Over the years, Liu Daogui led them in battles across the north and south. Although various unexpected events always occurred, they ultimately won every time.

That's how prestige is built.

"With the Commander-in-Chief here, even if Murong De sends 100,000 troops, we will not be afraid!"

"So what if the supply lines are cut off? There are people everywhere in Huainan. We can just borrow some, and we won't have to worry about food."

"Yes, what can't we eat?"

The more people talked, the more outrageous their claims became.

But that's just how things are these days, and Liu Daogui was used to it. Looking at the arrogant Chu army on the city wall, a plan suddenly came to mind. "Send the order: throw away your armor, weapons, livestock, and equipment, and throw away all the money and silk on your person. Retreat eastward to Xiapi!"

Although the soldiers were puzzled, they did as instructed.

Regardless of their formation, they hastily retreated eastward.

Meng Gan led his scouts to keep a close eye on Shouchun's every move.

The various groups of people on the border have always been greedy and insatiable, frequently ambushing and killing refugees, plundering their wealth, and seizing their wives and daughters.

Having spent so many years in the military, Liu Daogui knew their habits best.

Even cats can't resist stealing fish. Even in the Jianwei Central Army, which has its own stipends, land, and military rewards, some people still manage to steal...

Armor, weapons, and money were scattered along the way, their golden gleam catching the eye.

The soldiers of the Central Army have been living well these past few years. Every time they go on a campaign, they prepare some money and wear clothes made of the finest materials. They also have donkeys, mules, and packhorses that accompany them, all of which are quite valuable.

When Liu Laozhi's army approached Ye City, he fell into Murong Chui's trap, which caused all his previous efforts to be in vain.

Liu Daogui did not believe that Huan Shisheng's military leadership skills surpassed Liu Laozhi's and that he could control the soldiers.

The discipline of the Western Army was worse than that of the Northern Army, and they were also poorer!
Moreover, with such a great temptation to defeat himself, Huan Shisheng certainly couldn't resist.

Sure enough, an hour later, the neighing of warhorses and shouts of battle came from behind.

"They're here!" The soldiers were overjoyed.

"Success or failure hinges on this moment; all soldiers must fight to the death!" Liu Daogui drew his sword, his blood boiling.

"kill!"

The soldiers, their faces filled with murderous intent, disregarded any formations and immediately turned and charged towards the direction from which the horses' hooves were coming.

Call——

The terrified neighing of warhorses echoed across the fields.

Huan Shisheng was indeed unable to resist the temptation. The mountains and plains were filled with Chu troops, numbering as many as 20,000, as well as a cavalry force of 500 men. Many of them had strings of coins, cloth, and grain bags hanging on their bodies. They moved slowly, and those who had not managed to grab anything had greedy expressions on their faces.

"kill!"

The Northern Army remained the same as before; whenever there was fighting, they were incredibly excited, and everyone fought without regard for their own safety.

The two armies clashed, swords flashed and spears clashed, blood splattered and stained the wild grass on the ground.

With a shield in one hand and the Marquis of Xinting in the other, Liu Daogui charged into the enemy ranks. At this point, he no longer cared about formations or command; it was pure chaos.

Chaotic battles are the ultimate test of a soldier's bravery.

Although the Western Army was numerous, it was no match for the Western Army on land, with less than 20% of its troops wearing armor.

Of Liu Daogui's seven thousand elite troops, nearly half were armored.

Everyone is a warrior who has been through countless battles.

Blood, screams, wails, corpses...

Liu Daogui's vision turned blood red. He was shot in the shoulder with an arrow, but he seemed to feel no pain and continued to chase the enemy westward.

"Close the city gates immediately!" Huan Shisheng's terrified voice came from the city wall.

But it was too late. Meng Ganzhi led more than fifty elite soldiers into the barbican, and Huan Shisheng on the city wall was shot down by Gao Xun's arrow. The other defenders did not even dare to show their heads.

"Shouchun has fallen!"

The soldiers' cheers echoed across the city walls.

Liu Daogui, carrying a knife, walked into the city step by step, leaving behind trails of bloody footprints, until he reached Huan Shisheng.

Huan Shisheng had a crossbow bolt stuck in his chest, but thanks to his armor, he was not fatally wounded. "It was all a misunderstanding... The Commander-in-Chief is indeed valiant, he spared me..."

Before he could finish speaking, a cold glint pierced his neck...

(End of this chapter)