Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 337 South

The autumn harvest has ended in the north, but Guangzhou has begun its second round of planting, with people working in the fields everywhere.

The climate here is hot and humid, which is very suitable for rice growth. In normal years, two harvests can be achieved, and in more fertile land, three harvests can be achieved in a year.

The docks in the port were bustling with activity, and the outlines of warships were beginning to emerge.

Forced into a corner by Liu Yu, Sun En committed suicide by jumping into the sea. The power of the Celestial Masters sect fell into the hands of Lu Xun, who was more adept at governance than Sun En, who came from a noble family in Hebei.

The continuous fighting in Jiangzuo in recent years has given them enough respite.

With more food available, the population will increase.

The initial few thousand who went south expanded to over one hundred thousand in the blink of an eye, thanks to the spread of the Celestial Masters sect, and the number is still growing.

The teachings of the Celestial Masters sect were extremely attractive to ordinary people who were living in misery and suffering from oppression and humiliation. Not only did the people of Shanxi in Guangzhou come to join them, but even the barbarian tribes in the mountains came to visit them.

After many barbarian chieftains tasted the effects of the Five-Stone Powder, they became completely obedient to Lu Xun.

"Liu Jinu has won again... He managed to capture Jiankang with just over two thousand men. Is this man some kind of god? And Liu Daogui, his strength is growing stronger and stronger. With the strength of a single province, he is able to resist Huan Chu in the south, attack Tuoba Wei in the north, and contend with Southern Yan in the east..."

Guangzhou is thousands of miles away from Jiankang, so Lu Xun's news arrived a little later.

"The dragon that soars too high will regret it, and pride cannot last long. Liu Yu, a commoner, has taken control of Jiankang. How could the aristocratic clans be willing to accept this? Although Huan Xuan has retreated, his strength remains. Although the Northern Army is strong, the generals each have their own agendas. Master, you should just focus on recuperating and observing the success or failure of the Jiangdong region. When they are both exhausted, you can lead an army of 100,000 men, advancing by land and water, to storm Jiankang and decide the fate of the world in one battle!"

As the chief strategist of the Celestial Masters sect, Xu Daofu had a clear understanding of the Northern Prefecture.

In fact, so far, the Celestial Masters sect has only suffered a loss at the hands of Liu Yu; against other Northern Army generals, they have all won great victories.

Although Guangzhou is far from Jiankang, one can reach Guilin via the Xijiang River, Guishui River, and Lishui River, entering the Lingqu Canal built by Qin Shi Huang, and then entering the Xiangshui River, and finally entering the Yangtze River from the Xiangshui River.

This waterway is even more convenient than the Hebei waterway, with connections in all directions, linking Jingxiang, Jiangdong, and Lingnan together.

The Celestial Masters' navy was also formidable. Its core members were all natives of the three Wu and eight prefectures, making them natural-born naval forces. They crossed the sea from Linhai Prefecture and swept across the region as soon as they set foot in Guangzhou.

Xu Daofu continued, "Back then, the Western Army followed Huan Wen to dominate the world. Huan Xuan has shrunk his power to Jingzhou and Xiangyang, occupying the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The Northern Army will not win so easily. As long as they fight among themselves for a few years, our chance will come!"

Starting from the end of the Han Dynasty, the long-term war in the north led to the further southward migration of people. Guangzhou, having enjoyed peace for a long time, developed much better than the three Wu regions.

Moreover, Lu Xun also possessed another powerful tool – maritime trade.

From the Han Dynasty onwards, the Western Regions traded goods with the Central Plains, and countless merchants and monks crossed the vast deserts to enter the Central Plains in search of profit.

The Five Barbarian Invasions plunged China into chaos in the north, leading to a migration of people and intellectuals to the south. This also spurred development in the Jiangnan region, resulting in rapid advancements in shipbuilding and the transformation of trade routes into sea routes.

In the East China Sea and the South China Sea, merchants frequently traveled between the two countries. Guangzhou, with its superior geographical location, became a gathering place for merchants from all over the world. Merchants from countries such as Shiva, Duyuan, Gupta, and Linyi to the south were constantly coming and going, and one could even see people from Goguryeo and Baekje to the north.

Merchants arrived, goods were exchanged, and money poured in.

Therefore, the Celestial Masters sect had the strength to rebuild warships, train soldiers, and covet Jiangzuo.

However, while Xu Daofu spoke passionately, Lu Xun remained calm.

"Actually... Guangzhou is not bad either. After having a few good meals these past few years, why not go south, conquer Jiaozhou, divide the territory, and become the sole ruler of the country? It wouldn't be a bad idea."

It wasn't that he lacked ambition, but rather that he was genuinely terrified of Liu Yu.

Previously, Liu Yu only had three or four thousand men, yet he could still chase and kill hundreds of thousands of them. Now that he controls Jiankang and has become a force to be reckoned with, with tens of thousands of elite troops from the Northern Army under his command, they are increasingly no match for him. In any case, Liu Yu cannot control Lingnan for the time being, so it is better for him to establish a separate regime in Jiaoguang.

When Sun En first raised an army, he called himself General Who Conquers the East. After Lu Xun occupied Guangzhou, he called himself General Who Pacifies the South and even submitted a memorial to Huan Xuan requesting that he be appointed Governor of Guangzhou...

If the imperial court is willing to appease him, Lu Xun has no interest in going north and fighting to the death with the Northern and Western armies.

Xu Daofu frowned and said, "Master, you are mistaken. Who is Liu Yu? He is as greedy and tyrannical as a tiger. How could he sit idly by and watch us occupy Lingnan? If we wait for him to destroy the Huan family, he will definitely send troops south. At that time, we will not only face a few thousand Northern Army soldiers, but a hundred thousand Northern and Western Army combined forces!"

After several years of entanglement with Liu Yu, although he suffered a crushing defeat, he also gained a clear understanding of Liu Yu's temperament.

There is no room for two tigers in one mountain.

How could a fierce tiger allow a vicious wolf to lie behind it?
“That’s right, I was wrong. How could Liu Yu let me go? I’ve made tens of thousands of people die at his hands. This is an irreconcilable feud!” Lu Xun’s eyes flashed, and hatred appeared on his face. He changed his mind again.

"Besides Huan Xuan and the gentry, Liu Yu had another adversary!"

"Who?"

“Liu Daogui!” Xu Daofu’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

The Celestial Masters sect was ubiquitous; although it retreated to Guangzhou, it maintained numerous connections with the Jiangnan region through merchants.

Most of the Five-Stone Powder that those aristocratic families and noble clans coveted was brewed by them.

"Absolutely, absolutely! Liu Yu is as fierce as a tiger; how could he not turn his own brothers against each other?" Lu Xun, judging others by his own standards, couldn't help but burst into laughter.

These days, let alone brothers, even fathers and sons will turn against each other for power.

A few years ago, Sima Yuanxian had also seized the title of Prince of Langya from his father, Sima Daozi. Such things were even more common in the north. Shi Hu slaughtered Shi Le's entire family and tortured his own son, Shi Xuan.

There was also the Murong clan of the Yan state, whose members fought each other for generations.

If Liu Yu hadn't been so powerful, based on strength alone, he wouldn't have been able to sit in that position in Jiankang.

"Liu Yu wiped out the entire Wang family of Taiyuan. The noble families must be resentful. We can send someone to persuade them so that they can be used by us in the future!" Xu Daofu was actually a branch of the Pengcheng Xu family. He had moved to Langya County and knew the noble families very well.

"We are currently short of capable personnel. Who should we send?"

The Celestial Masters sect has no shortage of warriors, but it lacks eloquent speakers.

Such a major event requires experienced individuals who can adapt to changing circumstances; otherwise, once discovered, the Celestial Masters sect will sever its ties with the gentry.

They had already witnessed Liu Yu's methods.

"Yunxiu, why don't you come and pay your respects to your master?" Xu Daofu clapped his hands behind him.

Adorned in a green robe and adorned with jade pendants, her face radiant with youthful beauty, she had not been burdened by the passage of time, but rather appeared even more graceful and charming. "Yunxiu greets Master!"

Her voice was soft, yet carried a unique allure, stimulating the man's desire to conquer.

Even Lu Xun, who had weathered many storms, couldn't help but be moved, thinking, "With such a beautiful woman, how can I not accomplish great things?"

(End of this chapter)