Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 323 Knife
Upon returning to Pengcheng, Liu Daogui ordered his troops to take a break and return home for a short reunion with their parents, wives, and children.

The entire territory of Yanzhou has been fortified and scorched, and Murong De has nothing left to plunder, and his food supplies are also starting to run out.

The grain route south from Licheng was cut off by Shen Qingzhi, and the grain route west from Langya County was also cut off by Mao Dezhu.

If it were now the transition from spring to summer, when the warhorses could graze on wild grass, and with the grain they had previously plundered, these 20,000 elite Yan cavalry would have collapsed long ago.

Murong De still had some prisoners in his hands. According to the habits of the Hu people, if they really ran out of food, they would eat anything.

In the North, food supplies have never been a major problem.

Liu Daogui also returned to his residence and reunited with his wife and children.

Looking at the innocent and naive Yi Xing and Yi Wu, most of the weariness in my heart disappeared.

Before they knew it, one was five years old and the other was four. Liu Daogui couldn't help but sigh at how fast time flies.

However, such peaceful days were destined not to last long. Four days later, before news of Wang Yuande could be sent back, news from Hefei in the south arrived first.

Instead of attacking Shouchun, Huangfu Fu led his troops straight to Xiangcheng, where he joined forces with Feng Gai and Fu Hong to besiege Liu Yu!
"General Zuo is a peerless warrior. Feng Gai, Fu Hong, and Huangfu Fu are no match for him. Moreover, General Zuo has not requested reinforcements yet, so there should be no major problem. Now that three elite forces of Chu are tied down, the Commander-in-Chief should quickly head south, first enter Guangling, coordinate with Jingkou, and look for an opportunity to cross the river and head straight for Jiankang!"

Dai Qizhi's face was full of gloom.

The Chu army's elite forces are now concentrated in Jiangbei and Jingzhou. Huan Xuan only has the Xifu navy left. If Liu Daogui can successfully cross the river, with his current reputation and prestige, a single call to arms will surely stir up a great wave of people in Jiangnan.

Liu Zhong and Liu Zun stared at Liu Daogui without saying a word.

Liu Muzhi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

The Northern Army launched a sudden uprising without even inquiring about Pengcheng, which led to the current predicament and left a thorn in everyone's side.

"Have you not considered that if your brother is killed, Huan Xuan could free up his hands and join forces with Murong De to deal with us? How will we resist then?"

Liu Daogui knew his own limitations.

With only three or four thousand men, Liu Yu held off Feng Gai and Fu Hong's more than 30,000 troops, and withstood most of the Chu army's elite forces.

Without him standing in front, Liu Daogui would probably be under even more pressure now.

To think that the State of Chu, which controlled the entire Yangtze River basin, could defeat the State of Chu with only Yanzhou was simply wishful thinking.

"You won't even save your own brother! What face do you have to stand between heaven and earth? You old man, you've ruined our brotherhood, you deserve to die!" Liu Zun was furious and tried to grab him.

Dai Qizhi's face paled. "I was merely... stating the facts, and had no other intentions..."

"That's enough," Liu Daogui waved his hand to stop them.

Liu Yu, Liu Daogui, and Liu Zun grew up together. Even though Liu Yu's actions in raising an army were somewhat unethical, they could not be ignored and left to die without regard for the overall situation.

There was no one to rely on, such as Liu Yi and Meng Chang; the only people they could count on were their own brothers and the Liu family of Pengcheng.

Murong Chui had his elder brother Murong Ke to support him, and Sima Zhao had Sima Shi as his predecessor...

The road ahead is long and arduous, and the task is heavy and the journey is far. This is an era of clans, and it is difficult for an individual to succeed by going it alone.

The opponents ahead, besides Huan Xuan, include bandits, aristocratic families, and even the Northern Army itself...

Liu Muzhi said earnestly, "A fierce tiger and a crouching dragon, if united, can achieve great things; if separated, they will only benefit others!"

"Brother Liu is right!" Liu Daogui agreed wholeheartedly. He had practically been raised by his elder brother, and he couldn't stand idly by, whether out of brotherly affection or because of the current situation.

"Report, Commander-in-Chief, Yu Yue and Da Xijin of Jizhou are leading their troops south and heading towards Qingzhou!" a scout reported from outside the hall.

"Great!"

This is the only good news I've heard recently.

As expected, Tuoba Gui made his move.

As long as Southern Yan exists, it poses the greatest threat to the State of Wei.

With Tuoba Gui making his move, Murong De had no choice but to return to Qingzhou, otherwise his stronghold would have been overthrown.

"The time is ripe for war. The fate of Jiangzuo rests on the battle of Xiangcheng!" Although Liu Muzhi knew nothing about military affairs, he understood the overall situation.

Indeed, Huan Xuan had committed three elite troops from the Western Army, making Xiangcheng the decisive factor on the chessboard.

This was no longer about Liu Yu's personal safety, but about the success or failure of this uprising.

With Liu Yu defeated, the Northern Army lost an arm, and the morale of the Western Army soared. Liu Daogui was unable to hold out alone, and Liu Yi and Meng Chang in Guangling, and He Wuji and Liu Huaisu in Jingkou would not be able to hold out for long either.

"Immediately gather the elite troops and come with me to reinforce Xiangcheng!" Liu Daogui took the precious sword, Xintinghou, from the Lanqi sword. He drew it a foot deep; though slightly chipped, it remained as sharp as ever, its cold gleam striking. Seeing this sword brought back memories of Liu Laozhi; every time he saw it, he couldn't help but think of Liu Laozhi, who, when he should have fought bravely, always hesitated, ultimately suffering defeat and death…

After such a long back-and-forth struggle, the decisive game is finally about to begin.

More than 4,000 soldiers gathered, and after reuniting with their families for a few days, their morale was greatly restored.

At least the previous fatigue is gone, and the lost sharpness has returned, like a treasured sword drawn from its sheath.

The quality of an army is more important than its quantity. Too many men and horses make long marches and the transportation of supplies difficult. Four thousand elite troops from the Northern Army are enough to conquer the world.

Xiangcheng was in dire straits, and it would take time to mobilize the army. Liu Daogui provided the soldiers with warhorses and livestock from Pengcheng for transportation, while Liu Zhong led 20,000 troops and naval forces behind them.

"Do any of you dare to challenge me to a battle in the south?"

"Kill, kill, kill——"

The shouts soared into the sky...

Xiangcheng is located on the Ying River.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Sima Yi marched down the Ying River to attack Wang Ling. Wang Ling surrendered by binding himself and was escorted to Xiangcheng. He asked Sima Yi for coffin nails, which Sima Yi gave him. Knowing that he was doomed, Wang Ling cried out, "I am eighty years old, and my life and name will be destroyed by evil!" and committed suicide by poison.

Xiangcheng is now completely surrounded by the antler-shaped moat.

Feng Gai and Fu Hong had more than 30,000 troops. They also conscripted 20,000 able-bodied men from nearby Runan and Huainan, and built deep trenches and high walls to completely trap Xiangcheng.

Given this situation, the city's garrison should have collapsed long ago.

But Liu Yu's troops were an exception.

Despite being trapped in a desperate situation, morale was not significantly affected.

Back then, when facing over 100,000 demon bandits in Juzhang and Haiyan, Liu Yu had less than a thousand men at his disposal, and the situation was even worse than it is now. Yet, he still managed to defeat the demon bandits time and time again.

"It seems that Huangfu Fu's troops have arrived," Meng Longfu said, pointing to the banners in the southeast.

The two characters “Huangfu” fluttered in the wind.

A large number of armored vehicles under its banner slowly entered the Chu army camp.

"A true man dares to gamble!" Liu Yu squinted, gazing at the slowly setting sun in the west.

Meng Longfu laughed and said, "I think the general has gotten carried away with his gambling again after winning. How about we play a few rounds of Chupu?"

Liu Yu said earnestly, "What's the difference between the battlefield and the game of Chupu? Huan Xuan has staked the fate of the Chu Kingdom, and I will stake my own life."

Meng Longfu's spirits lifted. "General, are you going to make a move?"

"The Four Tigers of the Western Prefecture are nothing but four rats. They've delivered themselves to my doorstep; how could I possibly turn them away?"

His strong self-confidence inspired all the soldiers around him.

"Hey, brothers, we've been waiting for you to say that, General!" Shen Tianzi and Shen Linzi also came over.

A faint red tinge slowly rose in the eyes of the surrounding soldiers, and the fat on their faces trembled slightly.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Liu Yu was as fierce as a tiger, and all his men were brave and reckless, disregarding life and death.

Although there were only 3,600 men, everyone was wearing iron armor captured from Wancheng, each had a powerful crossbow, and there was even a cavalry unit of 121 men.

Over the past month, the soldiers have repeatedly repelled fierce attacks by the Chu army, suffering minimal casualties themselves.

"When are we going to make our move!" Kuai En said, carrying a short axe.

Liu Yu looked at his generals and said, "Now!"

"Now?" Everyone was surprised.

"The elite troops of the Western Prefecture are all gathered here. After a long siege, their morale is low. Huangfu Fu has come from afar and is exhausted. The other Western Prefecture troops, however, have lowered their guard because they think reinforcements have arrived. This is the perfect opportunity for us to strike. If we can defeat these three generals, the elite troops of Chu will be wiped out, and Huan Xuan will surely lose heart! Issue the order: all troops, rise up and follow me into battle!"

Liu Yu's eyes were piercing, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, making him appear as if bathed in divine light, so much so that no one dared to look directly at him.

"Leader!"

The south wind blows north, the setting sun sinks below the distant horizon, and in Xiangcheng, a murderous aura rises to the sky.

(End of this chapter)