Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 347 Return

Mao Dezhu did not disappoint Liu Daogui. In the Battle of Xichuan, he ambushed Gou Lin's 5,000 infantry and cavalry at Xianglu Mountain, and not only defeated them, but also pursued them with 1,500 cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Yao Wenzong's 4,000 reinforcements who came from Hongnong County.

They beheaded more than 4,000 people and captured 1,300.

Before the Central Plains were at war, the Xichuan region was already in turmoil. Xichuan is located at the throat of Guandong and Guanxi, and was known in ancient times as Danyang. Historically, the State of Chu used this place as a starting point to expand its territory, conquering more than fifty small states and becoming the hegemon of the south.

If Mao Dezhu occupies Xichuan, he can cut off the reinforcements coming from Guanzhong.

Wang Zhen'e of Zuolu County captured Xinye, and the garrison of Wancheng surrendered as soon as they saw the "Liu" banner, but they could not capture Deng and Fan.

These two cities were Xiangyang's strongholds north of the Han River, with fortified cities and ample supplies.

Without siege equipment, Wang Zhen'e's 15,000 troops had no way to attack the city.

However, Liu Zhong's navy cut off the connection between Xiangyang and Fancheng, leaving Xiangyang an isolated city.

"It's our turn to make a move." Liu Daogui calculated the time; there were still three months left until the one-year mark.

They failed to capture Xiangyang, and they also failed to conquer Yiling to the west.

"This humble general is willing to be the vanguard!" Liu Zun earnestly volunteered for battle.

"In this battle, we will not attack the city, but attack its hearts. Send out orders to pile up the money, silk and grain captured from Jiangling under the city walls and tell the people in the city that as long as they are willing to come, we will forgive their past mistakes, give each person forty mu of land, five strings of cash and three shi of grain."

You can’t catch a wolf without risking your child.

Liu Daogui preferred to invest money and supplies rather than let his soldiers bleed and sacrifice themselves.

Since all this money and grain was seized from the Huan family, it didn't hurt to spend it.

Liu Zun's eyes widened. "This works too?"

"Why don't we try and see? Where is Yin Zhongwen? Immediately write a proclamation in the name of the imperial court to denounce the traitors and urge the soldiers and civilians in the city to restore order."

Liu Daogui now represents the imperial court, and he should be used for the sake of legitimacy and righteousness.

"I accept the order." Yin Zhongwen picked up his pen and began to write.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the manifesto was completed.

"Where the legitimate dynasty resides, in the land of Yu, the clothing, etiquette, and music have been inherited from the Three Dynasties; in the old capital of Luoyang, the bronze vessels and ritual implements still retain the Zhou system. You, the sons of the Central Plains, though temporarily trapped in the rebel camp, have you forgotten your homeland? The usurper Huan's usurpation of the throne was merely a temporary display of ferocity; the Jin dynasty's long reign is truly the legitimate succession of Heaven and Earth."

Now the royal army has recovered the Yangtze and Han rivers, with ten thousand warships covering the river's surface. If we remain obstinate and do not defy the heavenly army, we will surely suffer annihilation when the imperial army presses upon our borders. If we open the city gates to welcome the royal army, we will all be rewarded with a share of land.

The innocent people, young and old, in the city are all vulnerable; how can we bear to see them fall victim to arrows…

Liu Daogui closed the book halfway through reading it, as the soldiers and common people couldn't understand this kind of literary proclamation at all.

Although Yin Zhongwen was a talented writer, he came from a prestigious family and was somewhat out of touch with reality.

Liu Daogui simply took out paper and pen and wrote it himself.

"The General of the Cavalry, by imperial decree, hereby proclaims to the people of the city: If you are a citizen of Jin, then come out of the city to welcome the royal army; if you join the rebels and resist the royal army, after the city is breached, your entire family will be exterminated!"

The fewer the words, the bigger the matter, and therefore the more authoritative it is.

The more they said, the more guilty they seemed. The garrison in the city knew better than anyone that Xiangyang alone could not defeat the imperial court.

Although short, this proclamation was both gracious and authoritative, backed by Liu Daogui's reputation, making it extremely intimidating.

Yin Zhongwen sighed, "General of the Flying Cavalry is skilled in both literature and martial arts; I am no match for him."

Liu Daogui glanced at him sideways and said, "Stop talking such nonsense in the future. You are not lacking in talent; put your mind to practical matters."

Yin Zhongwen cupped his hands in greeting, "Your subordinate has learned much..."

Liu Daogui carefully read through the proclamation and felt that something was still missing. "Immediately send men to Xichuan to retrieve the heads and prisoners of the Qin army and show them to the garrison in the city!"

Talk is cheap; these days, anything needs to be stained with blood to be convincing.

Huan Qian's greatest reliance was Yao Qin, but now Gou Lin and Yao Wenzong's reinforcements have been defeated, dashing their hopes.

Within a few days, the head and prisoners were taken downstream by boat.

Piles of grain lay beneath the walls of Xiangyang, Qin prisoners of war facing the city walls, holding up tattered banners as they stood by the moat.

On the other side, carts piled high with money and grain, Liu Zun led over a thousand loud-voiced soldiers, shouting into the city: "The Qin army has been defeated, and Xiangyang is now an isolated city. General of the Flying Cavalry, you are granted leniency and given three days to surrender. After three days, the army will breach the city walls and leave no one alive!"

Silence reigned on the city walls, but the soldiers of the Northern Army below were in an uproar.

Killing is also one of the primal desires of humankind. The soldiers went on campaigns one after another, and their hearts were filled with resentment.

"Release!" Liu Huaijing shouted.

A line of archers stepped forward and shot the proclamation urging surrender into the city.

Afterwards, more than 3,000 new soldiers from the Western Prefecture stepped forward and shouted into the city in the Jingchu dialect: "Brothers, what General Piaoji said is true. We have been registered in the imperial army and have been allocated land, which is top-quality paddy field!"

"Stop working for the Huan family. With the assistance of the General of the Flying Cavalry and the General of the Chariots, the court has been restored."

"You all serve the Huan family with your lives, you are all traitors, and your deaths will bring shame upon your ancestors!"

The shouts outside the city grew louder and more excited.

Those who were selected for the Xifu New Army must have undergone ideological reform.

Moreover, Liu Daogui did not mistreat them; they were provided with land, residences, and allowances.

The Northern Army did not commit any offenses against Jiangling.

However, there was little reaction from the city walls. Huan Zhen, holding a sword, shouted from the top of the city wall: "A mere trick! My Huan family has been managing Jingxiang for over fifty years. Every mountain, every stream, every blade of grass and every tree here belongs to the Huan family. Who dares to rebel!" The surrounding Chu soldiers looked like mice before a cat, their faces filled with fear.

A general standing nearby shouted loudly, "The governor of Yongzhou, Huan Wei, is here! You little brat Liu Daogui, if you have the guts, come and attack the city! Xiangyang will be the place where you bury your bones!"

Extremely arrogant.

The generals and guards were furious, their faces turning ashen: "General, attack the city! We will tear this scoundrel to pieces!"

Liu Daogui chuckled, "If a dog bites you, are you going to bite it back? Let's see how long it can be so arrogant!"

Liu Zun continued to shout from below the city walls.

As night fell, the war drums sounded intermittently, and each time the city walls were on high alert.

The first day passed just like that, and on the second day, Liu Zun continued to lead his men to shout into the city.

Liu Huaijing slaughtered a sheep and cooked the meat below the city walls, sharing it with his soldiers.

Although no one came to surrender, the garrison's eyes had changed; the previous murderous intent was gone, and the men had become listless and lacked any fighting spirit.

Liu Daogui guessed that the letter of surrender shot into the city yesterday must have had an effect.

Despite the Sima clan's utter corruption, they were still considered the legitimate dynasty. The Western Army had fought for the Jin dynasty, and in the eyes of ordinary soldiers, the Jin dynasty was undoubtedly superior to the Huan clan.

The Cao Wei dynasty's usurpation of the Han dynasty was achieved through bloodshed and battle.

The Sima clan usurped the Wei throne, but they had the merit of eliminating Shu and Wu and unifying the world. Huan Xuan usurped the Jin throne, but he not only had no merit, but also made the world more chaotic and the people miserable.

Therefore, the State of Chu did not have much persuasive power and naturally held little place in people's hearts.

Moreover, Huan Xuan was already dead, the State of Chu had been destroyed, and Huan Qian had even sided with the State of Qin, making him even more unpopular.

On the third day, before dawn, the war drums began to thunder.

Soldiers from the Western and Northern armies carried long ladders, their armor as thick as mountains, their banners like clouds.

In the silence, a malevolent aura rose with the wind, sweeping across the heavens and earth.

"Could it be that...the city is really going to be massacred?" Yin Zhongwen asked, his face filled with terror.

Liu Daogui said calmly, "Isn't there still three hours left in the three-day deadline? Please be patient!"

"What if the time comes?"

"That means the city is full of traitors, and we cannot afford to be soft-hearted!"

A person cannot stand without integrity. We have already given them a chance and done everything we could. Since the people in the city do not believe us, we have no choice but to attack them by force.

More than a thousand Qin prisoners were pushed forward, their faces numb as they held up their shields and crossed the moat.

A sparse rain of arrows fell from the city wall.

Huan Wei roared from the city wall: "Hahaha, come quickly! Even if Xiangyang fights to the last man, we will never surrender to you! My men, let us die for our country today—ah—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was kicked off the city wall, letting out a series of screams, and fell to the ground below, motionless, clearly dead.

Not only were the defenders on the city walls stunned, but the Northern Army troops below were also bewildered.

A profound silence fell over both the city walls and the surrounding area.

"We swear we will never be traitors!"

A loud shout, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, immediately stirred up a stormy sea.

"We are all people of Jin, and we swear to die rather than be Qiang bandits!" came another shout.

Xiangyang was the gateway to the western region, and it was home to a large number of Jin people who had fled from Guanzhong. They had a deep-seated hatred for the Hu people.

If Huan Qian had fought alone, he might have had people willing to risk their lives for him, given the Huan family's decades-long reputation. However, by joining Yao Qin, he went against the wishes of the lower-ranking soldiers.

If they were willing to serve as lackeys to the Hu people, these refugees would not have gone through so much hardship to travel south and seek refuge with the Jin dynasty.

"Who dares to cause trouble?"

At this moment, Huan Zhen arrived with his sword and armored soldiers.

But it was too late. "I dare!"

Immediately, more than a dozen Chu soldiers rushed towards Huan Zhen with their swords drawn, and the city wall was instantly engulfed in a flurry of flashing blades.

Squeak, squeak...

Just then, the barbican gates opened wide, and the drawbridge over the moat was lowered.

Hu Fan led a contingent to defend the city walled city, declaring, "Xiangyang has submitted to the imperial court!"

Countless people in the city shouted, "We are willing to surrender to the imperial court!"

"Enter the city!" Liu Daogui waved his hand, and the Western and Northern armies rushed into the city.

But a strange feeling arose in his heart. The Jin dynasty was already at its end, yet so many people still supported it. However, the Sima family had failed these passionate soldiers...

Changing someone's mindset is not so easy.

The Jin dynasty has lasted for nearly 150 years, which has formed a fixed image in people's minds. The southward migration of the elite at least preserved a trace of the Chinese civilization.

Although the Sima family's ship was dilapidated, it was still a ship...

(End of this chapter)