Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 388 Strategy

Getting this group together is also a troublesome matter.

Before the campaign even began, Liu Yi submitted a memorial claiming illness and dispatched Liu Fan with two thousand men to lead the expedition.

Sima Rongqi cobbled together four thousand followers, while Liu Jingxuan also brought his own fifteen hundred followers, and together they went up the river.

Just as they arrived at Sangluozhou, Liu Jingxuan sent someone to ask for grain...

"My uncle's northern expedition against Southern Yan lasted for half a year. Money and grain from Jiangzuo were sent north in droves, and the treasury of Jiankang was already empty..." The envoy was Liu Zusi, son of Liu Jingxuan.

"You're not even preparing provisions for this expedition?" Liu Daogui was speechless. The reason he stopped the campaign against Shu was also because of the lack of provisions.

"Uncle, you may not know this, but if Father had not volunteered, the credit for conquering Shu would have gone to Sima Rongqi. The Prince of Langya and the Prince of Qiao strongly recommended Sima Rongqi and Sima Xiuzhi."

Liu Zusi inherited Liu Laozhi's purple face, but his figure was very thin, not at all like a descendant of a military family.

Liu Laozhi and his son Liu Jingxuan were so focused on their careers that they neglected women, which led to the decline of their family.

"I can supply your food; the other troops will have to figure it out themselves."

Out of consideration for his repeated use of the term "uncle," Liu Daogui reluctantly agreed.

Providing provisions for 1,500 people shouldn't be a problem.

The Sima family is very wealthy. Liu Yi has been operating in Wuchang and Nanyu for many years and has a rich family fortune. He doesn't need to supply his own food and fodder.

"Thank you, Uncle!" Liu Zusi was overjoyed upon hearing this, not feeling anything was amiss.

Liu Daogui said with a complicated expression, "Didn't your father consider whether this battle could be successful?"

Liu Zusi said, "The people of Shu are a rabble and not worth worrying about. As long as our army is at the gates of Chengdu, we can terrify them!"

"Very good, then I can rest assured." Liu Daogui's expression was strange, but he sighed inwardly. The decline of Liu Laozhi's lineage was inevitable, and no one could change it.

Liu Yu set up such an obvious trap, yet Liu Jingxuan acted as if nothing had happened...

"I'll take my leave now."

"Huai Mo saw the young master off onto the boat." Liu Daogui made sure to maintain appearances.

Liu Zusi left happily.

Even with food, this group was extremely inefficient, constantly dawdling, and a month had passed without them having assembled their forces.

Meanwhile, Qiao Zong had already received the news in Shu and ordered Hou Hui and Qiao Shen to garrison Pingmo and guard the river mouth, and also built a series of fortified villages along the Yangtze River.

With spring approaching, Liu Daogui, wanting to avoid trouble, led his troops north to Xuchang to oversee the land reclamation efforts in various parts of the Central Plains.

Yuzhou was originally the heartland of China. Although it had been ravaged by war many times, its foundation and framework remained intact. After being governed by Xin Gongjing and Liu Huaizhen for many years, it was revitalized.

Everywhere you look, there are endless fields and busy crowds.

Liu Daogui governed the country using the same methods he used in the military: the mediocre were demoted, and the capable were promoted. Promotions were based solely on political achievements, not family background.

The county officials were all from humble backgrounds or meritorious retired soldiers, and they did not have the various problems of the Jiangnan gentry. The counties along the way recovered quite well.

However, the biggest problem is still insufficient population.

Sufficient population is necessary for development. The Central Plains had been plagued by long-term wars, with rivers of blood flowing and the population dwindling. Recovery would not be an easy task.

The population of the Xiongnu, Dingling, and other non-Han peoples was greater than that of the Jin people.

Although they learned how to farm, this still poses a significant hidden danger in the long run.

The lessons of the Five Barbarian Invasions were too tragic. During the Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties, foreign ethnic groups were continuously relocated to populate the Yong, Bing, You, and Liang prefectures. After three or four hundred years, they still could not be reformed.

"I believe that we should relocate their chieftains, change their surnames, and alter their customs. Then we should promote Confucianism, establish schools, and within three generations, these barbarians will be able to become Chinese."

Xin Gongjing was stationed in Luoyang for a long time and had considerable insights into governing the Hu people.

Feng Kai said, "Liu Yuan was well-read and had close personal relationships with aristocratic figures, yet he still couldn't shake off his wolfish nature."

"It was not that Liu Yuan was a wolf in sheep's clothing, but rather that he was old and could not restrain the wolfish ambitions of the Hu people."

The two actually started arguing about Liu Yuan.

Liu Daogui coughed and said, "Xin Gong's plan is too slow and cannot address the root cause. I have three plans."

Xin Gongjing cupped his hands in greeting: "I would like to hear the details."

"All Jin people, as long as they have not committed treason, are registered as commoners. All Hu people are registered as slaves or lowly people. Only after fifteen years can they be converted to commoners. Above commoners, there are good households. Only those who have made contributions to the country and the state can be registered as good households."

A good household is equivalent to a good family in the Han Dynasty.

This era was inherently hierarchical, with clear distinctions between good households, common households, slave households, and lowly households.

When the Jie Zhao state was established, it included the Jie, Xiongnu, Qiang, Di, and Xianbei as its "people," oppressing the Jin people and thus turning the Jin people in the north into slaves of the Hu people.

The morale of the Jin people plummeted from then on, and the Sima family also failed, with several northern expeditions ending in failure, which further dampened the morale of the Jin people.

As a native of Jin, Liu Daogui naturally had to consider the interests of his own people.

Feng Kai said, "If this method is implemented, how can the northern barbarians be expected to submit to the Great General?"

"Whether someone is loyal or not depends not on words, but on this!" Liu Daogui patted the long sword at his waist. "Barbarians fear power but do not cherish virtue. It would be best if those with rebellious intentions jumped out and tested the sharpness of my sword! The way of governance is not to seek only immediate comfort and leave disaster for future generations."

"The General is wise! If they don't submit, then kill them until they are convinced!"

Xin Gongjing was quite old, yet his bloodthirstiness surpassed that of many young people. He had fled from Longxi and witnessed too much suffering in China.

"From now on, all ethnic groups under my rule are strictly prohibited from marrying within their own tribes. Those who violate this rule will be demoted to lowly status. Slave households and lowly households may only have one husband and one wife. Good households and common households shall follow the old Han system and have one wife and four concubines! All Han men must carry swords after reaching adulthood. Those of other ethnic groups who carry swords will be sentenced to imprisonment. Those who privately possess armor, bows and crossbows will also be punished for treason."

Liu Daogui blurted out all his thoughts.

When people from different ethnic groups marry within their own communities, they form fixed groups that, once they grow strong, will inevitably rebel sooner or later.

People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill. The people of Jin were in the upper class, with low taxes and high status, so they naturally gained priority in choosing a spouse. Every woman has a desire to admire the strong, so they rushed to marry the people of Jin.

If this continues, the number of Hu people who cannot find women will decrease.

This would dismantle the Hu people's ethnic group at its very root.

Making Han men carry swords was intended to boost their martial spirit and maintain the military strength of the tribe.

Both of them were stunned.

Liu Daogui explained, “Our Northern Expedition is for the restoration of China. If it cannot allow our people to thrive and live a good life, why bother with the Northern Expedition? I want to revitalize the morale of Han men, let them ride on the heads of the barbarians, enslave their men, and make their women bear children for us!”

This world is cruel; there is no such thing as integration, only conquest, enslavement, and slaughter!

Temporary submission is merely a prelude to an even more violent rebellion next time.

The main force of the Northern Expedition consisted of refugees from the north who had migrated south. A true man would not leave a grudge unavenged. Liu Daogui could not ignore their suffering and bloodshed.

Feng Kai immediately bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "General, you are truly a great hero! China is fortunate, and the world is fortunate!"

Liu Daogui helped him up, saying, "Sima Feng is too kind. I'm just doing what I should do."

Xin Gongjing smiled wryly and said, "However, this strategy is too forceful."

"Does Master Xin know the story of boiling a frog in lukewarm water? Today's presentation is just a general outline; the specific implementation requires long-term planning. We should implement one policy this year and another next year. With consistent effort, we will surely succeed."

With such a massive plan, Liu Daogui did not expect to succeed simply by issuing a few military and political orders.

But as long as we persevere and take it one step at a time, we will eventually achieve it.

During Shi Hu's reign, he relocated a million Hu people from the Western Regions and the northern deserts into the country, implemented a policy of replacing the Han with Hu people, and imposed heavy corvée labor and military service, which made the Jin people in the north exhausted.

China's fortunes plummeted. If it weren't for Ran Min, Shi Hu's plan would have almost succeeded.

After Ran Min, the Hu people also became much more restrained. The Former Yan, Former Qin, Later Yan, Later Qin, Southern Yan, and Northern Wei all adopted a policy of appeasement towards the Jin people in the north, giving them a chance to breathe.

Feng Kai's eyes gleamed. "To implement this policy, we must have power in our hands. Otherwise, we will face internal constraints and external threats, and nothing will be accomplished."

Liu Daogui understood his thoughts without saying a word. "No rush. The world's power is on our side. Let's go with the flow and follow the trend!"

Entering Xuchang city, a completely different scene unfolds.

The area was bustling with activity, merchants gathered, shops lined the streets, and all kinds of goods were on display. It was as prosperous as Jiankang, Guangling, and Pengcheng. Although the people coming and going wore tattered clothes, at least they had clothes to wear.

There was no sign of hunger on his face.

The patrolling soldiers were gleaming in their armor and stood in perfect order.

Xin Gongjing governed diligently for many years, achieving remarkable results.

"Give me another six years, and everything needed for the Northern Expedition can be obtained from Xuchang!" Xin Gongjing said with great ambition.

"Six years is too long, three years at most."

The Huaibei military settlements, starting from Xuchang, along with Pengcheng to the east and west, served as Liu Daogui's strategic foothold in the Central Plains.

If Xuchang prospers, the entire Central Plains will be stabilized, and in the future, when we launch a northern expedition, we will not need to transport grain and weapons from Jingzhou and Jiangdong thousands of miles away.

Xin Gongjing said, "Three years it is. If I can see the General's Northern Expedition succeed, I will die without regret."

There's not much to see in Xuchang; Xin Gongjing's talent in governing the city was no less than his talent in defending it.

The official documents submitted to the emperor clearly stated the number of households, the amount of land, and the annual taxes to be paid.

Even his subordinates were all shrewd and capable.

After staying in Xuchang for more than ten days, Liu Daogui prepared to head north to Luoyang for an inspection tour. Newly recovered territories always present various problems.

However, at this time, a battle report came back from the west that the allied forces composed of Liu Jingxuan, Sima Rongqi, Liu Fan, and Sima Xiuzhi had indeed encountered setbacks and were met with fierce resistance from Qiao Daofu and Hou Hui.

This kind of allied force is like a wolf or tiger when things are going well, but it becomes hesitant and restrained when it encounters setbacks.

They all started to go through the motions without putting in any real effort.

Liu Jingxuan had no choice but to lead his 1,500 troops in more than 20 battles against Qiao Daofu, but he could not make any progress.

As if things weren't bad enough, the grain transported from Wuling County was attacked by the Shu Liao people and burned to ashes.

The question now is not whether to attack Chengdu or not, but how to retreat safely.

Liu Jingxuan's plea for help was delivered to Xuchang...

"They're more trouble than they're worth." Liu Daogui was disappointed in them. He had guessed they would fail, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

Not providing aid would be a disgrace to the Northern Army and a blow to its morale.

Saving him would be tantamount to saving Sima Rongqi and Liu Fan...

(End of this chapter)