Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 351 Movement

Throughout the world, no region was more hostile to the Jin dynasty than Shu.

When Sima Zhao conquered Shu, the Zhong Hui Rebellion broke out. The northern army burned, killed, raped, and looted in the city. Even the concubines of Liu Shan, the ruler of Shu, were given to meritorious generals. One can imagine what happened to the wives and daughters of ordinary people.

After the migration of the elite to the south, the people of Shu supported the Di chieftains Li Te and Li Xiong as their leaders and established Cheng Han. Although it was recovered by Huan Wen, no effort was put into its development, and it was easily conquered by Fu Jian within a few years.

In other words, Shu had only been under the control of the Jin dynasty for twenty years.

Regional discrimination was everywhere. Southerners looked down on northerners, the wealthy discriminated against the poor, the northern and western regions were in opposition, and the people of Shu never truly integrated into the Jin dynasty.

The situation developed extremely quickly. In less than a month, news spread throughout Sichuan that Qiao Zong, using a strategy of arrogance, had decisively defeated Mao Qu's army at Mianzhu, killing more than 5,000 men in battle, and was now at the gates of Chengdu.

The Huan family of Yidu County was also restless. After taking in Huan Qian and Huan Zhen as their military advisors, their military strength greatly increased. They prepared for war and were eyeing Shu with covetous intent.

Without hesitation, Liu Zun said, "It's perfect that they're fighting like dogs; we can just watch the show."

Yin Zhongwen said, "The Huan family's forces number around 20,000, and they will surely suffer heavy casualties on this mission."

Huan Shikang defended Yiling, blocking Wang Zhen'e and also preventing Mao Qu's 40,000 troops from launching a long-term siege.

Now, having joined forces with Huan Qian and Huan Zhen, their strength should not be underestimated.

If we let them infiltrate Shu, they will become a major threat to Jingzhou and Xiangyang.

After thinking for a while, Liu Daogui said, "Send orders to Wang Zhen'e and Liu Zhong to simply keep Yidu County occupied."

Liu Zun said, "Are we just going to let the Huan family go like this?"

"If I give you 30,000 men, can you conquer Yichang and Yiling?" Liu Daogui rolled his eyes.

Liu Zun shook his head repeatedly, "Let's forget it... Yidu County is a tough nut to crack."

The Huan clan was difficult to eradicate because they were allied with the barbarians near Yiling.

They control the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and also have advantageous geographical control in the vicinity.

If we were to mobilize the entire Jingzhou and Xiangzhou provinces, we could certainly conquer them, but the cost would be enormous.

What Jingxiang needs most right now is to recuperate, consolidate its base, and integrate with the Northern Army.

The Huan clan only had the remote Yidu Commandery, which governed four counties: Yiling, Yidao, Henshan, and Yichang. The land was barren and mostly mountainous, and in the long run, it could not support so many soldiers, inevitably leading to increasing poverty.

Under Liu Daogui's diligent governance, Jingxiang is thriving and will become increasingly powerful.

The underlying logic of war is money and supplies.

Some battles must be fought at all costs, while others can be postponed.

A direct assault on fortified cities like Yiling and Yichang would take at least a year and a half, but if they could recuperate and rebuild, Jingzhou would be a completely different place after a year. By then, with the people's hearts at ease, they might be able to take Yidu without a fight.

Liu Daogui then ignored the western front and focused all his efforts on developing Jingxiang.

They issued successive orders for occupying land and for reclaiming wasteland.

In all the wasteland of Jingzhou, Xiangyang, and other prefectures, each household may occupy fifty mu of land on its own, and will not need to pay land rent for three years. The government will lend seeds at a 20% interest rate and lend oxen and iron tools free of charge.

In this era, people could only make a living by farming. What could truly improve their living conditions were mulberry and hemp fields. Men farmed and women wove, producing cotton, hemp, and silk fabrics. They wove clothes, sold them, and then used the proceeds to buy various necessities.

In the past, mountains, lakes, rivers, and forests were all occupied by powerful clans and noble families, leaving ordinary people with nowhere to stand and making survival increasingly difficult.

Then, using their own land as collateral, they borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates from powerful clans to make a living, and land became increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few people. This is how land consolidation came about.

The three prefectures of Jing and Xiang are extremely vast, and supporting a population of seven or eight hundred thousand would be a piece of cake.

To ignite the enthusiasm of the people, Liu Daogui personally reclaimed the wasteland.

He lived a poor life in his early years, doing all sorts of jobs such as farming, chopping wood, fishing, and selling shoes. Although he has gradually risen to a high position and great power in recent years, he has not become complacent and still does many things personally. Even the General of the Cavalry personally reclaimed wasteland, which greatly boosted the enthusiasm of the people and soldiers.

The area west of Xiangyang, in the Jushui River basin, has vast tracts of fertile land and primeval forests.

The government organized the people and soldiers to cut down trees and build dikes to create farmland.

The timber in the primeval forest is excellent for shipbuilding, and even the scraps are valuable firewood. Liu Daogui took the opportunity to set up a shipyard, bringing together carpenters and shipbuilders from Jingzhou and Xiangyang to build large ships that could navigate rivers and seas.

The craftsmen did not need to farm; the government provided them with three shi of rice and two strings of cash each month, enough to support their families.

Even the laborers who helped with the work received a bushel of grain each month.

Amidst the busyness, news came back from the west once again.

"Qiao Zong blocked Chengdu. Mao Qu wanted to defend the city. In less than two months, Li Teng, a military officer from Yizhou, led his men to open the city gates and welcome Qiao Zong. The rebel army stormed into the city, annihilated Mao Qu and Mao Ai's entire family, and exterminated the three clans of the Mao family."

Liu Daogui was not surprised by this result.

Mao Qu's attack on Yidu was already unpopular with the people of Shu. The campaign lasted a year, resulting in heavy losses of soldiers and generals, and wasting manpower and resources. The people of Shu had long been alienated from him.

Qiao Zong was resourceful and often generous in helping those in distress. He was well-regarded in the army and among the people, and as a member of a prominent local family, he was deeply loved by the people of Shu.

"Has the Huan family made any move?"

Meng Gan said: "The Huan family raised an army of 10,000, but instead of advancing westward, they marched southward."

Liu Daogui was slightly surprised, "Heading south? Could it be to attack Tianmen County?"

"Yes."

"Bring me the map."

The guards brought out a map of the three prefectures of Jing and Xiang, which Liu Daogui examined carefully.

Tianmen County was also part of the Mao clan's territory, and Wuling County to the south was Sima Zun's fiefdom.

These two prefectures are located in the mountainous region of western Hunan, bordering central Guizhou to the south, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack.

The Wuling barbarians had been a considerable force since the Han Dynasty. When Liu Bei launched his eastern expedition against Wu to avenge Guan Yu, the barbarian chieftain Shamoke provided him with strong support.

The imperial court established the Southern Barbarian Commandant to govern the various barbarian tribes of Wuling.

If the Huan family were to launch an attack on Shu, it would be a lose-lose situation. However, capturing these two prefectures would expand their living space, which would be a very wise move.

During this year, the Huan family seemed to grow stronger with each battle.

"What are we waiting for? We absolutely cannot let them occupy Tianmen!" Liu Zun became impatient.

"Why are you panicking? I'm not afraid that the Huan family won't make a move; I'm afraid they'll just keep hiding in the two cities of Yiling and Yichang." Liu Daogui was not alarmed but rather pleased.

Huan Shikang held fast to the cities of Yichang and Yiling, blocking the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, and Liu Daogui was truly helpless against him for the time being.

But if they voluntarily stick their heads out, that's a different story.

"Order Wang Zhen'e to lead the land and naval forces of Jing and Xiang, and, depending on the circumstances, annihilate the Huan clan!"

Jiangling is garrisoned with 3,000 elite troops from the Northern Army and 10,000 new troops from the Western Army. There are four military districts surrounding it. Changsha is garrisoned with 8,000 naval troops under Liu Zhong and three military districts. The total number of troops from the two prefectures is no less than 30,000.

Liu Daogui promoted Wang Zhen'e directly from a low-ranking military officer to a prefect, skipping several ranks. Whether he could handle the promotion depended entirely on his own abilities.

With Jiangling sending troops, Xiangyang could not remain idle either. Liu Daogui summoned four thousand elite troops from the Northern Army and ten thousand soldiers from the Western Army to stand ready for battle.

If Wang Zhen'e's attack fails, our side needs to have the ability to cover the fallback.

(End of this chapter)