Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 359 Son

In fact, the vast majority of people in the Jiankang court did not support the northern expedition against the Southern Yan.

Left Minister of Civil Affairs Wei Yongzhi advised: "The land reclamation is not yet complete, and officials and powerful families in various places are still resisting. Moreover, since the chaos caused by the rebels, there have been years of war in Jiangzuo, and the treasury is empty. The Southern Yan state has been established and is stable. The White Barbarian cavalry is strong and powerful, unlike Jiangzuo. The naval force is useless. Once it is defeated, it will damage the prestige of the General of Chariots and Cavalry and the General of Flying Cavalry."

This statement is very serious.

The reason why Liu Yu and Liu Daogui were able to control the government and the military respectively was that they were invincible in battle and suppressed various opposing forces with their formidable military might.

However, if the attack on Southern Yan fails, his aura of invincibility will be shattered.

Just as Yao Xing lost the Battle of Chaibi, various internal conflicts erupted in the Qin state, and rebellions broke out one after another.

Under normal circumstances, monarchs would try to avoid such decisive battles that concern the fate of the nation, and would only take action when they were absolutely certain of victory.

Meng Chang, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, said: "Minister Wei is mistaken. Since the General of Chariots and Cavalry and the General of the Flying Cavalry raised their troops, when have they ever suffered a defeat? In the Battle of Xiangcheng, three thousand men defeated Huan Chu's fifty thousand elite troops. In the Battle of Jingkou, several hundred troops defeated twenty thousand Chu troops. Murong Chao is acting perversely. As soon as he ascended the throne, he slaughtered old ministers and veteran generals. Apart from that, he is all show and no substance. I predict that the General of the Flying Cavalry will surely be victorious in his northern expedition!"

General Xie Yu also cupped his hands and said, "Murong Chao has invaded Guangling and harmed the people. If we turn a blind eye, it will further damage the reputation of the two generals. In my opinion, destroying Southern Yan may not be enough, but recovering the three prefectures of Donghai, Dongguan and Langya should not be difficult."

The Southern Yan army had already invaded their homeland, and Liu Yu, as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, could not possibly turn a blind eye.

Moreover, given Murong Chao's arrogance, if left unchecked, the entire Jiangbei region would likely be destroyed under his iron hooves.

However, the current strength of the imperial court is somewhat insufficient to destroy Southern Yan.

Liu Daogui only brought 30,000 elite troops with him on this northern expedition.

Back then, the Wei army of 100,000 failed to penetrate into Qingzhou, and even Pingyuan County could not be breached.

Although Southern Yan was small, it was composed entirely of the elite of Later Yan. They followed Murong De into Qingzhou and, for many years, repeatedly repelled the invasions of Wei.

"You are all wrong. This battle will surely destroy Yan, and Yan must be destroyed!" Liu Yu's voice was loud and clear, and he looked quite well. He sat below Emperor Sima Dezong and Prince Langya Dewen.

His towering figure almost completely obscured the frail emperor and king of the Sima family.

All the civil and military officials looked at Liu Yu.

Every time he spoke, the room would fall silent.

"Murong Chao occupies Qingzhou and overlooks the Jianghuai region. If this traitor is not eliminated, there will never be peace in Jiangzuo. Today, he has come out of his lair to die. This is Heaven's help!"

Liu Yu's eyes gleamed.

If Murong Chao, like Murong De, had retreated to Qingzhou, the Northern Army would have had a hard time dealing with them, relying on the Qi State Great Wall on Mount Tai.

But now that Murong Chao has penetrated deep into the Jianghuai region, he has delivered himself to their doorstep.

Throughout his life, Liu Yu never retreated when faced with an enemy.

If I weren't feeling unwell, I would have rushed up there myself long ago.

"This battle concerns the face of the court and the survival of the nation. We cannot afford not to fight. There is no need for further discussion," Liu Yu declared decisively.

Even if Murong Chao hadn't provoked him, he would have still launched an attack on and destroyed Southern Yan after completing the land conquest.

After the court meeting ended, Liu Muzhi, Zang Xi, Xiao Yuanzhi, Liu Juanzi, and others had been waiting in the East Hall for a long time.

Liu Muzhi is still only the Chief Clerk of the Chariots and Cavalry, with no prominent position, so he has always remained behind the scenes.

Zang Xi was Liu Yu's brother-in-law, skilled in both literature and martial arts. In his early years, he went hunting with Ruan Chong, the magistrate of Liyang County. Suddenly, they encountered a tiger. Everyone scattered, but Zang Xi went straight forward and shot it, and it fell dead instantly.

Xiao Yuanzhi was the maternal uncle of Liu Yu and Liu Daogui. If it weren't for his help in their early years, the Liu family would have starved to death long ago.

"Minister Wei and Sima Xie are loyal and trustworthy, but Minister Meng has ulterior motives." Xiao Yuanzhi, being the oldest, spoke first.

Upon returning to the East Hall, Liu Yu's radiant appearance vanished instantly, and he lay exhausted on the soft couch. "I just want my brother and I to suffer heavy losses with Murong Chao, so that he and Liu Yi can turn things around."

Zang Xi said, "Since this person has two minds, he should be eliminated as soon as possible."

Liu Yu's eyes twitched, but he did not answer.

Liu Muzhi cupped his hands and said, "Meng Chang is of noble character and loyal to the court. He is highly respected and admired by everyone in Jiangzuo. If we kill him, we will lose the support of the people."

Meng Chang was a key figure in the uprising against Chu. The initial resistance against Huan Chu relied entirely on his efforts to unite various forces.

While his prestige in the army was not as high as that of Liu Yu and Liu Daogui, he was extremely popular in the court and among the people.

"Why kill him? He's just a weak scholar who can't even kill a chicken. He may be talented, but he hasn't found his time. Associating with Liu Yi will surely bring him no good fortune." Liu Yu waved his hand magnanimously.

He knew better than anyone who posed a threat and who didn't.

If Meng Chang is not killed, he will suffer the consequences of his own actions; killing him, on the contrary, will preserve his reputation.

Moreover, killing the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat required a suitable reason.

Meng Chang had no military power, which instead became a shield for him.

At least for now, Liu Daogui has no reason to deal with them. There are too many enemies: the Sima clan princes in the court, Murong Chao in the north, the rebel leader in the south, and Qiao Shu in the west.

After the internal aristocratic forces were given a warning, they became much more low-key. However, the natural antagonism between the common people and the aristocracy would not disappear. They were only temporarily dormant. Given the opportunity, these people would still come out and stir up trouble.

Any one of these forces is more troublesome than Meng Chang.

During this period, Huan Shisui, who was entrenched in Jiujiang County, joined forces with Sima Guofan to amass troops at Hutao Mountain, with more than 20,000 soldiers, which once threatened Liyang, an important town north of the Yangtze River.

Although Huan Chu was destroyed, the Huan family still had some influence after more than fifty years of operation.

Sima Guofan was a descendant of Sima Fu, the Prince of Anping. After Huan Xuan usurped the throne, he fled to Jiangzuo. However, after Liu Yu seized power, he was even more ruthless than Huan Xuan, killing Sima Zun and Sima Xiu. Sima Guofan wandered outside and joined forces with Huan Shisui.

And Hutao Mountain happens to be located within Liu Yi's southern Yuzhou territory...

Liu Yu's position in the central government was far more challenging than Liu Daogui's, who was leading troops in the field, as the enemy was lurking in the shadows.

"Put everything else aside for now. Murong Chao treats China as nothing. This villain must be eliminated." After saying this, Liu Yu closed his eyes and lay down.

Imperial Physician Liu Juanzi quickly took his pulse and gave a wink to the others.

The group bowed respectfully and quietly withdrew from the east hall...

Pingcheng, Wei Kingdom.

Several deafening claps of thunder startled Tuoba Gui awake. Afterwards, he remained restless, unable to fall back asleep, constantly feeling that someone wanted to harm him.

After killing Yu Yue, the governor of Yedu and the Duke of Xichang, Tuoba Gui successively killed the brothers He Digan, the chief minister of the north, and Mo Ti, the Duke of Gaoyi, and his son, and ordered the death of General Li Li.

Prince Tuoba Yi of Wei conspired with Duke Mu Chong of Yidu to rebel. After the rebellion was quelled, Tuoba Gui, out of consideration for their brotherhood, pardoned him.

However, a month ago, Tuoba Yi was terrified by Tuoba Gui's massacre of meritorious officials. He was caught up while fleeing and was given a death sentence.

Then there was the eldest son, Tuoba Si, who, because his mother, Lady Liu, was killed, actually fled Pingcheng...

If any meritorious official in the court or a tribal chieftain showed any unusual expression or walked in a manner different from usual, he would suspect them of rebellion, order his officials to arrest them, and personally execute them. He would then pile their bodies in front of the Tian'an Hall as a warning to others.

However, as these meritorious officials and powerful chieftains passed away, Tuoba Gui's authority grew stronger, and the land allocation based on population and the reform were implemented more and more smoothly.

The imperial edict was obeyed by all regions, and officials worked diligently without daring to collude with each other. Even thieves disappeared without a trace.

On the contrary, the State of Wei prospered and its national strength grew stronger day by day. The rebellions in southern Gobi, Bingzhou, and Hebei were gradually quelled, and the gentry of Hebei flocked to join them, resulting in a significant increase in the agricultural population.

With a deafening roar, another bolt of lightning struck, illuminating the area outside the hall as if it were daytime. Immediately following, a loud bang was heard, and cries of alarm erupted from all sides.

"What happened?" Tuoba Gui had a splitting headache and grabbed a few Wushi San pills to stuff into his mouth.

The eunuch quickly reported: "Your Majesty, the east wall of the Tian'an Palace has been struck and collapsed by a huge thunderbolt."

"what?"

Pingcheng was the capital he had just built. Of all places, why did the lightning strike and collapse the Tianan Palace? Wasn't this Heaven making him restless?

Tuoba Gui's anger intensified, and he ordered Zuo Xiao to use an iron chariot to smash down the entire east wall.

The commotion lasted until dawn, after which they changed into their court robes and went directly to court for a meeting.

"Your Majesty, General Liu Daogui of Jin has led 30,000 elite troops on a northern expedition against Southern Yan." Changsun Fei, being shrewd and self-preserving, repeatedly submitted memorials requesting to retire and return to his hometown, which finally dispelled Tuoba Gui's suspicions.

He is the only one among the meritorious officials who is still highly regarded.

"That Murong brat is ignorant of his own limitations, daring to provoke the Liu brothers. He is doomed to defeat in this battle." Tuoba Gui had suffered a great loss at the hands of Liu Daogui before, and the memory was still fresh in his mind.

"In my opinion, if Yan and Jin go to war, both sides will be severely damaged. Your Majesty should gather a large army, and if Yan is defeated, attack Yan; if Jin is defeated, attack Jin!"

“Indeed, the people of Jin are constantly fighting amongst themselves, and have been engaged in civil war for years. Attacking Southern Yan at this time would only lead to their own destruction. This is Heaven’s help for Your Majesty to achieve great things!” Cui Hong said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Tuoba Gui arbitrarily slaughtered meritorious officials, yet he still respected Cui Hong as before.

These words resonated deeply with him. "Since the Battle of Fangtou, I have been constantly thinking about the shame of our defeat and have been unable to sleep at night. Although Liu Daogui and Liu Yu are formidable warriors, it is by no means a matter of a day or two to conquer Southern Yan. Once their national strength is weakened, I will lead 200,000 infantry and cavalry south to take Southern Yan in one fell swoop and conquer the Jianghuai region!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Although the Wei court believed that Murong Chao would be defeated, the Jin state would certainly not fare well.

Kill one thousand enemies and lose eight hundred.

Although the State of Jin is implementing the land reform, it has only been a short time, and it will be difficult to see any results in three to five years.

On the contrary, in recent years, Wang Gong, Sima Yuanxian, Yin Zhongkan, Huan Xuan and Liu Yu have risen and fallen in turn, and treacherous bandits have ravaged the country. Power has changed hands too quickly, and the Jin state is no longer the Jin state of the Battle of Fei River.

Liu Yu and Liu Daogui's northern expedition at this time was ill-timed. If they had waited three or four years, until the land had been converted into national strength, the chances of success in the northern expedition would have been much greater.

Moreover, Murong Chao was no benevolent figure. As a member of the royal family who had been living in exile, he suppressed a mutiny as soon as he ascended the throne, eliminated the old ministers left by Murong De, and firmly grasped the military power of Southern Yan. By all accounts, he was a hungry wolf.

With the flattery of his ministers, Tuoba Gui was in high spirits.

At this moment, the second son, Tuoba Shao, stepped forward with his hands clasped and knelt on the ground: "My mother is ill and cannot endure imprisonment. I beg Your Majesty to release my mother so that I may fulfill my filial duty."

As Tuoba Shao grew up, he was granted the title of Prince of Qinghe and General Who Conquers the South. With Tuoba Si in exile, Tuoba Shao's status rose accordingly, making him the only choice for crown prince.

According to the patriarchal system of the Wei state, where the mother of a son was to die when he was granted a noble title, Tuoba Shao's mother, Lady He, was imprisoned and about to be executed.

"Get up." Tuoba Gui's expression changed instantly.

The courtiers fell silent, as if trembling with fear.

Tuoba Shao, however, showed no fear and stood up to meet Tuoba Gui's gaze.

Tuoba Gui's volatile temper was caused by the Five-Stone Powder, and his second son was born cruel and tyrannical, fond of robbing and slaying passersby, and killing and shooting dogs and pigs for amusement. He once dissected a pregnant woman and took out the fetus from her womb to look at it.

Tuoba Si often taught him with benevolence and righteousness, but he did not appreciate it and instead became even more unruly.

Tuoba Gui hung him upside down in the well, and only took him out when he was on the verge of death, thus saving his life.

One can imagine the temperament of someone who grows up in such an environment.

"You good-for-nothing, are you a descendant of the Tuoba family or the Helan tribe?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze turned strange.

Lady He was Tuoba Gui's aunt. She was already married at the time and possessed natural beauty. Tuoba Gui, while inspecting the Helan tribe, was captivated by her beauty, killed her husband, and forcibly married her into the palace. She gave birth to Tuoba Shao.

"My mother gave me life and raised me, how can I be unfilial?" Tuoba Shao said emphatically.

The Helan tribe was the second largest tribe in the Wei Kingdom and a supporter of Tuoba Shao. If the Helan tribe were eliminated, Tuoba Shao would be weak and powerless in the Wei Kingdom.

Those who are weak and powerless in the North Kingdom would find it difficult not only to succeed to the throne, but even to survive.

"You unfilial son!" Tuoba Gui's face was contorted with rage.

Tuoba Shao was a man who had faced life and death before. Others feared him, but Tuoba Shao was not. "Does Your Majesty intend to kill your son?"

One sentence left Tuoba Gui speechless.

Whether Tuoba Gui was stubborn and self-willed or suspicious and distrustful, it was all for the sake of the Tuoba clan's empire. But sons are different; they are blood relatives. Even tigers don't eat their cubs, let alone humans.

The eldest son, Tuoba Si, has already fled. If the second son is killed as well, the other sons will surely live in fear.

This is self-destruction.

"Throw him out! Throw him out!" In the crucial moment, reason prevailed over Tuoba Gui, and he spared Tuoba Shao's life...

(End of this chapter)