Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 333 God

After capturing Jingkou, Liu Yu's prestige soared.

The garrison at Zhuli fled without a fight, and Huan Xuan also withdrew his troops to the area around Jiankang. Huan Qian stationed 20,000 troops at Dongling, northeast of Fuzhou Mountain, while Bian Fanzhi, the Attendant-in-Ordinary and General of the Rear, led 10,000 troops to be stationed west of Fuzhou Mountain.

General Yu Zezhi led 20,000 troops to garrison Leyouyuan, south of Fuzhou Mountain.

Then, he ordered General Zhu Chaoshi to lead 7,000 elite naval troops to patrol the Houhu Lake, which is also known as Xuanwu Lake.

During the late Han Dynasty, Sun Quan excavated the Yundu, Qingxi, Chaogou, and Beiqu canals, connecting them with the Qinhuai River and Xuanwu Lake to form a crisscrossing waterway network, which also served as a military defense line.

Fuzhou Mountain is located north of Jiankang, with Jiangshan Mountain and Qingxi River to the east, Jilong Mountain and the Yangtze River to the west, and Xuanwu Lake to the north.

To attack Jiankang from Jingkou, one must first conquer Jiangshan to form the outer city wall, then fight for the East Gate Bridge and South Yin Bridge over Qingxi, and finally see the outer city wall of Jiankang, beyond which lies the imperial city.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Jiankang is an impregnable fortress.

At this time, Huan Xuan had a combined force of 60,000 to 70,000 troops from the Western and Northern armies, and there were also hundreds of thousands of civilians in Jiankang City.

Liu Yu only had a little over 2,700 men under his command.

“We cannot go through Jiangshan. We should go through Quehu, bypass the main force of the Chu army, and attack Jiankang from the southwest corner!” He Wuji suggested to Liu Yu.

It was obvious that Huan Xuan had set a trap at Fuzhou Mountain, just waiting for Liu Yu to fall into it, and the Chu army only needed to block the Qingxi River to trap and kill them inside.

However, if you take the detour via Quehu, it will add more than 300 li to the journey.

Crucially, there is a sub-city in the southwest corner—Dongfu City. The Chu army has the advantage of a navy and can provide support in the blink of an eye.

Tan Pingzhi also disagreed with a direct attack, saying, "The enemy is strong and we are weak. It would be better to launch a surprise attack on Baishi's naval stronghold. After that, we can welcome Governor Liu's army south and then have a decisive battle with Xifu!"

Of everyone present, Tan Pingzhi was the oldest and the most composed.

This is also the most feasible strategy at present.

Once Liu Daogui's 30,000-strong army crosses the Yangtze River, Huan Xuan's fate will be sealed.

Other generals also agreed.

But Liu Yu overruled everyone's objections, saying, "You're all wrong. Huan Chu's elite forces are in this navy, all from Jingzhou and Xiangyang. They are united and determined. Baishi Water Fortress is easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we rush over, we won't gain any advantage. How can we catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den? Most of the troops at Fuzhou Mountain are former Beifu troops. When they see my banner, their morale will collapse. With Jingkou already captured, Huan Chu's men are in a panic. The opportunity to fight is fleeting. How can we drag things out?"

All the generals looked at each other.

Two thousand seven hundred men launched an attack on Jiankang City, which was defended by a combined land and naval force of sixty to seventy thousand men.

If these words hadn't come from Liu Yu's mouth, others would have thought he was crazy.

Liu Yu laughed and said, "Although Huan Xuan's arrangements are ingenious, with naval forces, infantry, and a network of mountains and waterways advancing in layers, he has forgotten that battles are fought by people. The morale of the Northern Army rests on the shoulders of my brother and me. We will surely win this battle, so you need not worry!"

The aristocratic families, of course, couldn't see the thoughts of the soldiers below them. In their eyes, the soldiers weren't even human beings, just a group of "lowly slaves".

But they forgot that even a lowly slave has his own thoughts.

"Only you, Liu Jinu, would dare to fight such a great battle!" Tan Pingzhi smiled helplessly.

He Wuji glanced at the surrounding generals, their eyes filled with fanaticism as they looked at Liu Yu. All the battles Liu Yu fought were unbelievable, divine feats: one man chasing down a thousand men, a thousand men fighting against a hundred thousand demon bandits, and three or four thousand soldiers forcing Sun En to commit suicide by drowning...

This cannot be explained simply by the word "gambler".

According to metaphysics, this is the mandate of heaven!
"Fine, I'll stake my life on this gamble!" He Wuji was only thirty years old, the age when he was most audacious and reckless.

"Speed ​​is of the essence in war. Issue the order: light troops, abandon heavy armor, and carry only swords, shields, bows, and crossbows. Immediately raise your troops and march on Fuzhou Mountain!" Liu Yu drew his sword and rose.

The generals stood solemnly, "We obey!"

As early autumn arrived, a southwest wind blew early, carrying a slight chill. The grass and trees among the green hills rustled, appearing somewhat gray and withered, with faint glimmers of cold light visible.

What should have been a peaceful afternoon was inexplicably tinged with a chilling atmosphere.

More than 2,700 people brazenly advanced towards Fuzhou Mountain, seemingly unaware that they had entered an encirclement.

Upon reaching the center of the battlefield, the soldiers calmly formed ranks.

The Chu army also emerged from behind the mountains and forests, their banners waving, swords flashing, and iron armor gleaming—a dazzling spectacle.

Liu Yu stood imposingly at the front of the battle, surrounded by over a hundred elite warriors who shouted, "Liu Yu of the Northern Army is here! Come and fight to the death!"

The sound echoed through the valley.

The wind picked up, and the grass and trees swayed precariously.

Upon hearing the name "Liu Yu of the Northern Army," the Chu soldiers froze, silently watching the Northern Army below the mountain.

"Anyone who dares to retreat even half a step will be executed!" Enraged, the Chu army officers whipped their soldiers. For every two steps forward, the soldiers on the other side retreated.

In the Battle of Xiangcheng, 50,000 elite troops of the Western Army were wiped out. Even though many of them have escaped back over the past month, morale has been shattered, their organization has been destroyed, and the morale and confidence of the Chu Kingdom have suffered a severe blow.

Now, facing Liu Yu himself, they are even more intimidated by his power.

It was as if the 2,700 men he led were not soldiers, but tigers.

Among these Chu soldiers were many veterans of the Northern Army whose families were in Jingkou and Guangling, under Liu Yu's control. At this point, they dared not fight to the death.

"The enemy is already intimidated, beat the drums and attack the mountain!" Liu Yu drew his sword and pointed it up the mountain.

dong dong dong-

As the war drums sounded, He Wuji led over a thousand swordsmen and shieldmen in a surprise attack on the ten thousand Chu soldiers on the mountain.

"The tiger is coming!"

The mountain was filled with screams in the Jingxiang accent.

The veterans of the Northern Army also stirred up trouble, saying, "We are from the Northern Army, why should we risk our lives for the Western Army?" "That's right, why don't we join General Liu in rebellion!"

"A dragon lies coiled to the north, and a fierce tiger is approaching from the east; Huan Xuan is destined to be defeated!"

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, none of them willing to step forward to meet the enemy, watching helplessly as the Northern Army stormed up the mountain.

Finally, the Western Army couldn't hold out any longer, threw down their weapons, and turned to run.

In a battle between two armies, if even one person flees, it is a major blow to the morale of the entire army.

The others also fled in all directions, and the Chu army officers and soldiers could not stop them and were also swept away.

But just as the Chu army was fleeing on the mountain, an army of at least 8,000 men suddenly appeared from Leyouyuan to the south, with a cavalry force of 300 men on each of the left and right flanks.

In the northern part of Houhu Lake, a naval force sailed downstream into Qingxi River, cutting off the Northern Army's retreat route.

The Chu army that had originally fled on the mountain regrouped and sent one or two thousand men back to attack.

"Good timing!" Liu Yu had no intention of retreating and went up the mountain with his soldiers.

His old followers were best at trekking through mountains and rivers. They were all lightly equipped and moved with incredible speed, like nimble monkeys in the forest.

However, the Chu army, clad in iron armor and carrying long spears, found it difficult to climb the mountain. They were panting heavily after only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, so exhausted that they could not straighten their backs, and their formation broke down.

The six hundred cavalrymen were blocked by the mountains and forests and could only linger at the foot of the mountain.

"Fight back!" Liu Yu pointed his broadsword at the Chu army on the mountainside.

"Fire!" At Tan Pingzhi's command, a thousand crossbows fired simultaneously from the bushes and trees. The Chu army, confined by the mountain path, was concentrated in one place, and more than a hundred men fell instantly.

Three rounds of arrows rained down, and blood flowed like streams on the mountain road.

Meng Longfu, Shen Tianzi, Shen Linzi, and Kuai En, four valiant generals, each led their troops out to fight, their roars startling countless birds from the mountains and forests, which then soared into the sky.

One by one, they charged down like tigers descending a mountain, pouncing on the bewildered Chu army from their high vantage point.

In the blink of an eye, blood stained the grass and trees.

Liu Yu was not idle either; he ordered his soldiers to set the mountain on fire.

In early autumn, the vegetation, having been scorched by the summer sun, was already withered. A northeasterly wind blew, and once the fire started, billowing black smoke quickly rose into the sky.

The one or two thousand soldiers on the mountain were burned and cried out in despair.

The Chu army below the mountain was utterly routed.

The bigger the fire grew, the fiercer the Northern Army became. At this time, the young men from Jingkou who came from the east joined in the shouting and clamor, which made the Chu army even more frightened. Just as the navy in Qingxi came ashore to provide reinforcements, their warships were hit by rockets and burst into flames.

Huan Xuan's "net of heaven and earth" collapsed completely in less than two hours.

The entire course of the great battle, from beginning to end, was within Liu Yu's calculations.

As a gambler, you need not only luck, but also the ability to calculate.

This is especially true for Chupu (a card game); you have to plan every step in advance, or someone else will beat you to it.

Liu Yu had long developed a habit of gambling, and his actions, though seemingly whimsical, were in fact always on the right track.

The fire spread and the entire mountain was ablaze.

The firelight illuminated the face of every soldier.

On the battlefield, the only enemy troops still standing were the naval forces along the Qingxi River.

With several thousand men and a few warships in the river behind them, they formed a crescent-shaped formation, bows drawn and arrows nocked.

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot!" He Wuji was in high spirits and was about to fight with his sword, but he did not see that this group of people was different from others.

"Wait, do not attack such a formidable formation!" Liu Yu stopped him, staring thoughtfully at the formation.

Although the Jin dynasty was weak, it launched several northern expeditions.

Since the northern expedition was to be launched, it was necessary to deal with the cavalry of the Hu people. Therefore, the Jin army developed many methods to defeat cavalry with infantry. The formation of this Western Army was clearly designed to deal with cavalry.

This army wasn't incapable of escaping, yet they chose to hold their ground at Qingxi, clearly indicating they were no pushovers.

Liu Yu immediately became interested, "Whose troops are these?"

He Wuji glanced at the banner and exclaimed, "It must be the brothers Zhu Lingshi and Zhu Chaoshi!"

Liu Yu was taken aback. "Could it be the Zhu family of Pei County?"

"Exactly!"

The Zhu family of Pei County is also a prominent clan, located next to Pengcheng. They are neighbors with the Liu family of Pengcheng, both being military men from the Huai and Si regions. Zhu Lingshi's father, Zhu Chuo, followed Huan Wen on his northern expedition in his early years and made great contributions. Later, he served Huan Chong as if he were his father. In the ninth year of the Taiyuan era, Huan Chong died from an overdose of Wushi Powder, and Zhu Chuo also died from weeping and vomiting blood.

The Zhu brothers remained under the Huan family's control.

Now that the Chu army has suffered a crushing defeat, the Zhu brothers stepped forward without hesitation.

Liu Yu said, "Even if it is the Zhu family of Pei County, they are also comrades-in-arms of the Northern Army. Order them to surrender!"

Tan Ping said, "The Zhu brothers are as close as family to the Huan family. What if they don't surrender?"

“Tell him that I will use rafts to sail down from upstream and destroy their warships first. Then the infantry on the shore will be like rootless duckweed. Huan Xuan’s power is already lost. Out of consideration for our fellow townsmen, I will only give them half an hour to consider!”

The biggest weakness of this combined land and water formation is the boats in the river.

(End of this chapter)