Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 332 Power

"Why should the Northern Army listen to you?!" the man on the city wall shouted again.

Liu Daogui looked in the direction of the voice and saw a strong, dark-skinned man who was a complete stranger. He figured the man must be one of Liu Yi's refugee soldiers, someone from the Northern Army, who would never dare to bark at him like that.

"Dare to come down and fight!" Liu Huaijing's temper was not as mild as his two elder brothers'. He carried a long-handled axe and stood forward, immediately displaying the aura of a fierce general.

A moment of silence fell over the city walls.

"I'm giving you half an hour. If you still think you're soldiers of the Northern Army, then open the city gates. After half an hour, don't blame me for being merciless!" Liu Daogui threw down these murderous words and turned back to his own lines.

But the soldiers did not retreat. They strode forward, their armor clanging, and formed the Xuanxiang Formation, a formation that could both attack and defend.

Smoke and dust obscured the sun, yet there was not a trace of disorder in front of the city.

After arranging themselves in formation, the soldiers remained silent, gazing quietly at the city wall.

The able-bodied men who had followed also stepped forward and shouted, "Are you blind? This is Commander Liu, one of our Northern Army men!"

"How dare you! You actually dare to challenge Commander Liu?"

"Ungrateful bastards, you're all ungrateful bastards! You've forgotten who lent you money and food during the famine years..."

Guangling was the largest city north of the Yangtze River and a major commercial center, surrounded by displaced people living in clans.

Although Liu Daogui took more than 3,000 soldiers and several thousand military households with him, it was nothing compared to the population of a large city of over 100,000.

Liu Yi can recruit a new army in no time.

Even the new army, being part of the Northern Army, had received favors from Liu Daogui.

One incense stick, two incense sticks, half an hour passed.

As time went on, chaos and noise broke out on the city wall.

One group clamored to open the city gates to welcome Liu Daogui, while another group resolutely refused, drawing their swords against each other on the city walls.

"Beat the drums!" Liu Daogui added pressure.

Sixteen drum carts were pushed to the front of the formation. Each drum was more than a meter tall and was struck by two strongmen in turn.

dong dong dong...

As the drumbeats began, powerful and vigorous, people's blood began to boil.

Even those in the city who were unaware of what was happening could tell that war was approaching upon hearing this drumbeat.

"Ho, ho, ha—"

The veterans shouted along with the ancient rhythm, their voices growing louder and their killing intent more intense.

Liu Zun and his armored soldiers shouted in front of the city: "Open!"

The sound was like thunder, and the soldiers took a step forward, as if dark clouds were pressing down on the city.

At that moment, the arguing on the city wall ceased, the city gate creaked open, and the drawbridge was lowered and laid across the moat.

"Stop!" Liu Daogui waved his hand.

The drumming stopped suddenly.

Several people emerged from the city, the two leading them being Liu Yi and Meng Chang.

Liu Daogui, mounted on his horse, looked down at them, waiting for them to come and pay their respects. The Tiger Warriors stood in two rows, heads held high and chests out, their eyes burning as they placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.

"I have come to see Governor Liu!" Liu Yi had always lived in the Guangling area and had never seen such power before.

However, this person was quite a character; he swayed for a moment but immediately regained his balance.

Meng Chang, standing behind him, looked ashen-faced.

"Do you know your crime?" Liu Daogui asked, glancing at him sideways.

Liu Yi cupped his hands and said, "The commander-in-chief suddenly attacked Guangling City. I did not understand his intentions. For the sake of the people of the city, I dared not open the city gates. If the commander-in-chief were to punish me for this, I am afraid the people of the Northern Army would not be convinced!"

He used the entire city's inhabitants and the Northern Prefecture as shields; if Liu Daogui were to kill him, it would be a sign of narrow-mindedness and ignorance.

"After all these years, you're still as sharp-tongued as ever! Why didn't you help when you were slowing down Huangfu Fu?"

If they could have held off Huangfu Fu, the Battle of Xiangcheng wouldn't have been so fierce, and the number of dead and wounded wouldn't have been so high.

There were also uprisings in Liyang, and failed uprisings by Zhuge Changmin and Liu Fan.

Before Liu Mai of Jiankang could even raise an army, he was intimidated by Huan Xuan's few words and revealed his entire rebellion plan, allowing Huan Xuan to mobilize troops in advance and make arrangements at his leisure.

These people are all Liu Yi's gang.

This rabble has the nerve to come out and reap the rewards...

“Governor, you are wise. Huangfu Fu has 20,000 elite troops. We led our army in a bloody battle, but we were no match for him. We suffered over a thousand casualties and had no choice but to retreat,” Meng Chang said as he stepped forward.

"You have suffered over a thousand casualties, but do you know that Xiangcheng suffered over five thousand casualties?!"

Liu Daogui's initial military order was not to have them fight a decisive battle with Huangfu Fu, but simply to hold off Huangfu Fu's 20,000 reinforcements. Liu Yi was a local strongman in Guangling, and if he put his mind to it, he had plenty of ways to deal with it.

All the tiger warriors looked over, their gazes sharp as blades.

"We will be punished, please punish us, Governor!" Liu Yi gritted his teeth, his gaze not flinching, but fixed on Liu Daogui, revealing his ruthless and unyielding nature.

"Although we have failed in our duties, we have also made contributions in capturing Guangling and killing Huan Hong. The Commander-in-Chief is fair in rewarding and punishing, and will not let the generals of the Northern Army feel disheartened!"

Meng Chang once again summoned the Northern Army.

The Northern Prefecture is not only comprised of the Liu family of Pengcheng; it has now split into three factions.

The forces of commoners, led by Liu Daogui and Liu Yu, and the forces of aristocratic families, led by Liu Yi and Meng Chang, and assisted by Zhuge Changmin and Liu Fan.

Another group consists of He Wuji and others whose stance is unclear.

Killing Liu Yi will not eliminate this force. All signs indicate that they have already established connections with the Sima family. After Liu Yi dies, they will elect someone else.

Moreover, Liu Yi is guilty, but not guilty enough to warrant death. Especially when the situation is still uncertain, this could cause a split within the Northern Army.

The Western Army remains a formidable force, and Huan Xuan's stronghold in Jingchu has not been damaged. Recapturing Jiankang is only the first step; a counter-offensive against Jingxiang is to follow.

"The Northern Army will remain, Chief Clerk Meng will remain, and the rest of you will lead your respective troops to garrison Liyang!" Liu Daogui only wanted his submission today; he had no intention of actually killing him.

Having worked with him in Guangling for several years, I know him very well. He's ambitious but incompetent, more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything, and he's not really that much of a threat.

All we need to do is separate him from Meng Chang.

Meng Chang was a renowned scholar with immense prestige in Jiangzuo, and he was the one who facilitated many things for Liu Yi.

“Governor…” Liu Yi’s face finally turned ugly.

"Does Military Advisor Liu intend to disobey orders?" Liu Daogui stared at him coldly. Not killing him was one thing, but if he was courting death, then he had no one to blame but himself.

Meng Chang stepped forward, blocking Liu Yi's path. "Your subordinate obeys!"

Liu Daogui couldn't help but think more highly of him. "The military situation is urgent, and Liyang cannot be lost. You have two hours to pack your things and head there immediately!"

Liu Yi remained silent, but Meng Chang answered for him, "I obey!"

Liu Yi turned and left.

Meng Chang said, "Since we are about to part and have met, I have something to say to Military Advisor Liu. Is that alright?"

"Go."

Liu Daogui knew without guessing what they were talking about; it was nothing more than the usual platitudes about enduring and waiting for the right opportunity.

Meng Chang bowed and withdrew, with Liu Zun following behind, taking control of the city gate.

The soldiers remained on high alert.

More than an hour later, Liu Yi, Zhuge Changmin, Liu Fan, Lu Zongzhi and others, along with their respective troops, their families, and carts, headed west.

In fact, at this point, it was impossible for them to take the Northern Army with them. The army's morale had already shifted to Liu Daogui, and no one was willing to follow them.

Liu Daogui led his armored soldiers into the city.

A cheer immediately erupted from within the city: "Welcome, Governor!"

Men, women, and children lined the road to welcome them, their faces beaming with joy.

However, their clothes were not as shiny as usual, and everyone looked pale and sickly.

Liu Yi was adept at plotting and scheming, but lacked any governing ability.

It's truly a pity that he's ruined such a beautiful place as Guangling.

"My fellow villagers have suffered. Now that I'm back, I will never let you suffer again!" Liu Daogui said, bowing to the people by the roadside as he rode on his horse.

Meng Chang, standing beside him, had a shifty look in his eyes, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

"Thank you, Governor!"

The atmosphere became even more lively, with laughter and chatter accompanying them all the way, and Liu Daogui was in a great mood.

The imperial court and aristocratic families were lifeless, while the common people were full of vitality, creating a stark contrast.

The Northern Expedition was for the restoration of China, and the restoration of China ultimately meant enabling the people to live a good life and to restore their confidence and vigor of the Han Dynasty!
Liu Daogui went straight to the treasury, but to his surprise, there was not much grain in the treasury, only three or four thousand shi, and the money and silk were almost gone.

"Guangling is the richest place in the world, how did it come to this?"

Liu Daogui looked at Meng Chang.

"These past few years have been plagued by constant warfare and famine. Liu, the military advisor, used some of his resources to expand the army, and spent a considerable amount on contacting anti-Chu righteous men. He's just running out of money..."

"There are so many fertile fields outside the city, why is no one cultivating them?"

Even the Hu people knew how to recruit refugees and cultivate wasteland.

Guangling Prefecture is a vast and fertile land, and its people are diligent in their work. If there is a good harvest in a year, several prefectures will not suffer from hunger. The profits from fish, salt, and catalpa trees fill the land, and the abundance of silk and cotton cloth covers the whole country.

In just a few years, it has fallen into such a state of decline.

"Your Excellency is unaware that the fertile lands have been seized by powerful clans, and forty percent of them belong to the Prince of Qiao's fiefdom..."

Huan Xuan usurped the Jin throne and stripped the Sima family of their royal titles, but he did not reduce their fiefdoms. The Guangling Kingdom governed the counties of Huaiyin, Sheyang, Yu, Hailing, Guangling, Yandu, Huaipu, and Jiangdu.

Meng Chang's mention of the Sima family was actually a test.

Liu Daogui sneered inwardly, "The soldiers of the Northern Army are fighting a bloody battle against Huan Chu. I'm sure the Prince of Qiao will give them his full support. This year's autumn harvest doesn't need to be handed over. In order to eliminate Huan Chu, forty percent will be used for military service and sixty percent will be used to provide relief to the people. I would like to ask Chief Clerk Meng to write a letter to the Prince of Qiao, saying that this Commander-in-Chief expresses his gratitude on behalf of the soldiers of the Northern Army and the people of Guangling!"

“This…” Meng Chang didn’t expect the ball to be passed to him again.

Destroying someone's wealth is like killing one's parents.

He must be feeling very uncomfortable being stuck in the middle.

"Is it settled then? Does Registrar Meng have some unspeakable reason?" Liu Daogui asked with a half-smile.

"I'll take your orders!"

At this moment, Meng Ganzhi ran over with a joyful expression, "General, a great victory! The Left General has decisively defeated the armies of Diao Kui and Wang Yu, relieving the siege of Jingkou!"

"As expected of my elder brother."

Liu Daogui had hoped to take Guangling and then march south to support Jingkou, but Liu Yu defeated Diao Kui and Wang Yu with only 500 men...

Although these two are second- or third-rate individuals, they still command tens of thousands of men.

Liu Yu's dominance on the battlefield was unprecedented and beyond the comprehension of ordinary reason.

With the recapture of Jingkou, Jiankang was in grave danger.

Even if Liu Daogui couldn't cross the river, Huan Xuan's power was already gone.

Where is my brother now?

Meng Gan said, "General Zuo has selected over 1,500 brave and elite soldiers from Jingkou and is heading straight for Jiankang!"

(End of this chapter)