Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 391

The three armies were separated, each fighting its own battle, to avoid any conflicts.

Liu Zhong and Duan Hong led the land, water, infantry, and cavalry behind to prevent anyone from getting trapped and to provide rescue at any time.

If any gap is breached, this force will seize the opportunity to advance.

Liu Daogui and Liu Yizhen were stationed in Yong'an, while Liu Yixing, along with Feng Kai, Yuan Miao, and Zhu Lin, were responsible for logistics and supplies.

An army's supplies must come before its troops can move. The last time Liu Jingxuan was defeated, the problem lay in the lack of supplies.

The main army charged ahead, but the supplies were harassed by the Shu and Liao peoples, resulting in insufficient supplies. This led Liu Jingxuan to take a risk and attack a heavily defended city by the Shu army, only to fall into an ambush.

This time, Liu Daogui put a lot of effort into logistics, and specially ordered Zhu Lin to lead 13,000 soldiers from Jingxiang Prefecture and barbarian militia to clear both banks of the Yangtze River.

The Liao people can go up mountains and down rivers, as can the people of Jing and Xiang. The Wuling barbarians can walk on flat ground in the mountains and forests. Their methods of dealing with the Liao people are more brutal than those of the local soldiers. Wherever they go, nothing grows.

The Liao people are also divided into raw Liao and cooked Liao. Not all tribes are stubborn and incorrigible and hostile to the Jin dynasty.

Many tribes came down from the mountains to serve as guides for the Jin army.

Feng Kai rewarded all the tribes that cooperated with him with some money and grain.

In just one month, the Liao people in Badong, Fuling, and Bajun were basically eliminated, and the grain supply routes were kept open.

The front lines quickly yielded results.

The Shen brothers made the biggest commotion and attracted the most Shu troops. When Qiao Shu General Yang Mei saw that they had the fewest troops, he led 6,000 elite Shu soldiers to rush over, wanting to quickly annihilate this force and boost the morale of Shu.

Unexpectedly, he kicked the stone slab.

These two brothers had a similar style of leading troops as Liu Yu, both charging forward without ever retreating. Their 1,700 or 1,800 troops charged straight ahead and fought a bloody battle with the Shu army at Pingmo.

The brothers Shen Tianzi and Shen Linzi led from the front, fought valiantly, and defeated the Shu army, beheading more than two thousand enemy soldiers. Even Yang Mei, the great general of Shu, died by their blade.

They then drove the prisoners to attack Pingmo and successfully captured this sub-city south of Chengdu.

The brothers Zhu Lingshi and Zhu Chaoshi, from the inner waters, were also fierce generals. They advanced upstream along the outer waters, launched a surprise attack on the important town of Huanghu, defeated Qiao Daofu's vanguard Du Sheng, and successfully captured Huanghu.

Zhong Shui Wang Zhongde and Mao Xiuzhi's 5,000 Tiger Guards also swept through the enemy lines, defeating Huan Qian's 20,000-strong army by land and water, and capturing Niubi.

All three armies achieved resounding victories, and the Shu army was unable to withstand them, with almost all the important towns surrounding Chengdu falling to the ground.

The progress was so rapid, and the Shu army was so weak, that Liu Daogui had never expected it.

However, this is considered normal for Shu. When Huan Wen conquered Shu, he only used 10,000 Xifu troops.

This campaign against Shu brought together almost 70% of the Jin dynasty's elite troops, along with various local militias and volunteer armies. Liu Daogui even brought his cavalry with him.

If we still can't win, then there's simply no justice in the world.

Throughout history, those who relied on their own strength and audacity invariably met their demise quickly.

Because of its isolated geographical location, Sichuan was unaware of the dramatic changes happening outside.

"There are many mediocre people in the world, but only my uncle and nephew lead the troops with unstoppable momentum. This time, the destruction of Shu was effortless." Liu Yizhen said with great pride.

This made Liu Jingxuan, who was standing to the side, blush with embarrassment.

Liu Daogui thought to himself, what does the destruction of Shu have to do with him, Liu Yizhen? It's entirely because the generals sent by his father, Liu Yu, are too strong.

The Zhu brothers and the Shen brothers were both fierce generals who had emerged from the Eastern and Western Prefectures and had experienced countless bloody battles. It would be a waste of their talents to deal with the Shu people.

"Don't be too happy yet. Qiao Zong has concentrated his forces in Chengdu, preparing to put up a stubborn resistance." Liu Daogui rubbed his forehead. It was time for another siege.

Chengdu, as the capital of Shu Han, Cheng Han, and Qiao Shu, had long been an impregnable fortress.

Now that the Jin army is pressing in, it will inevitably provoke resistance from the Shu people.

Liu Yizhen said, "We can conscript 100,000 able-bodied men from Jingzhou and Xiangyang; that would be enough to fill Chengdu."

Liu Daogui glanced at him and found that he looked serious and was actually being earnest.

Not to mention that it is currently the spring plowing season, and the arrival of 100,000 able-bodied men from all over the country will delay the farming season, the food supplies for these people will also be a bottomless abyss.

I used to think he had some of the bad habits of a "scholar"—ambitious but incompetent—but now I see he's a complete fool.

My elder brother Liu Yu was a hero all his life, but I don't know why he gave birth to such a thing.

The only thing worth praising is his good looks, which perfectly illustrates the saying "all that glitters is not gold, but rotten inside."

Liu Jingxuan, standing nearby, sneered, "Young master, you are indeed well-versed in military strategy, able to come up with such a brilliant idea." Liu Yizhen sensed the sarcasm, "Prefect Liu comes from a military family; do not disgrace the Liu family of Pengcheng."

"You—" Liu Jingxuan's face turned purple with anger.

"You must not be rude, sir!" Liu Daogui's face darkened.

Liu Jingxuan was, after all, his elder, and by definition, a distant uncle.

Liu Yizhen glanced at Liu Jingxuan and said, "Uncle, please forgive me. I spoke without thinking."

“Disrespecting elders is unfilial. You are hereby punished to go back to your room to reflect on your mistakes. You are not allowed to go out for three days and are not allowed to contact outsiders.” Liu Daogui took the opportunity to get him away from him so that he wouldn’t have to see him or be bothered by him.

“Uncle…” Liu Yizhen’s expression changed.

Liu Daogui stared into his eyes. "What uncle are you talking about in the army? This is a military order. Are you going to disobey?"

When Liu Yizhen got really angry, he became afraid and looked away, saying, "Nephew wouldn't dare."

"Go ahead," Liu Daogui waved his hand.

Liu Yizhen bowed and withdrew.

It wasn't until he stepped out of the tent that Feng Kai said, "Chengdu is well-fortified and difficult to conquer within ten days. Our army's supplies have to travel thousands of miles up the river from Jiankang, which is quite inconvenient. Moreover, the Jiangzuo region has been vulnerable for a long time, and it will be difficult to sustain this for an extended period."

The biggest problem in the campaign against Shu was the supply of provisions.

"It's alright. Don't forget that we have the local militia on this trip. Pass on my order that all the local militia settle outside Chengdu and then transport oxen, seeds, and grain from Jiangling."

The greatest advantage of the Fubing (府兵) was that they combined farming and warfare, and Chengdu was known as a land of natural endowments, with plains outside the city and convenient water networks, so they could cultivate whatever they wanted.

It just so happens that it's spring planting season now, so if we work quickly, we can catch up with the season.

Sichuan is a land of many mountains and rivers. There is a salt mountain north of Baidi City, and Yun'an, southwest of Yong'an, has large salt mines, earning it the title of "Salt Capital of Sichuan".

With these salt mountains, the battle was very profitable.

Now it remains to be seen how long Chengdu can hold out.

Liu Daogui was not in a hurry to attack. Instead, he sent his troops up the mountain and began large-scale land reclamation.

Although Qiao Zong had implemented the scorched earth policy early on, the fields and irrigation ditches were still there, so it wasn't considered wasteland. With a little tilling, rice and millet could be planted.

Two days later, a scout brought back a report of victory: "Report! Our army has been engaged in land reclamation, and the morale of the Shu army has plummeted. General Zhu Lingshi took the opportunity to launch a fierce attack and captured the outer city of Chengdu in one fell swoop. Qiao Zong and Huan Qian knew that the situation was hopeless, so they led their troops to break out to the north. General Duan Hong led three thousand elite cavalry in pursuit. Ma Dan, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of Shu, sealed the treasury and opened the inner city gate to welcome our army into the city."

"Why did the Shu people resist so fiercely when I led my troops to attack?" Liu Jingxuan asked, his face full of frustration.

Liu Daogui comforted him, saying, "Back then, the various armies that attacked Shu each had their own agendas. After Huang Hu encountered resistance, none of them were willing to exert their strength. Over time, the Shu army saw through their schemes."

In this campaign against Shu, the outer, middle, and inner waterways were all breached, and the Shu army was terrified. Furthermore, the local garrison troops were cultivating the land on the Chengdu Plain. Knowing that the situation was hopeless, the people of Shu had no will to resist.

The people of Shu harbored resentment towards the Jin dynasty, but since ancient times, Shu had been conquered by external forces and had long been accustomed to it.

During the Warring States period, it was conquered by the Qin state. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wu Han raised an army to attack and captured Chengdu, where his troops plundered extensively. At the end of the Han Dynasty, it was first occupied by Liu Zhang and his son, and then by Liu Bei. Next, Zhong Hui and Deng Ai attacked Shu. After that, Li Te led the refugees from Guanzhong to establish "Cheng Han", which was destroyed by Huan Wen and then occupied by the Former Qin.

Therefore, although Sichuan was closed off, it was also relatively easy for foreign powers to come into contact with it.

The outcome is already decided; the people of Shu will not fight to the bitter end like the people of Southern Yan.

Moreover, not everyone in Shu hated the Jin dynasty; there were quite a few who supported it, and even Ma Dan, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of Shu, surrendered the city.

In short, the victory was relatively easy, and most of the Jin people in Shu were able to survive.

But before they could celebrate for long, a scout came running to report, "Report... Shen Tianzi and Shen Linzi looted the treasury, but were stopped by General Wang Zhongde. A fight broke out between the two armies, resulting in three deaths and 127 injuries. They were later separated by General Zhu Lingshi and his troops!"

Liu Daogui frowned. Shen Tianzi and Shen Linzi were still so audacious and reckless, unwilling to suffer any loss no matter where they went.

Before the war began, they were repeatedly warned not to trip each other up or harm their comrades. But before the war had even completely subsided, they reverted to their old ways.

Feng Kai said, "This matter is of utmost importance. The Shen brothers have always been unruly, so the General must come in person."

Liu Daogui agreed with his words, saying that it could still be salvaged now, but if it turned into internal strife, the trouble would be much greater. Qiao Zong and Huan Qian had fled, and many cities in Shu were still putting up a stubborn resistance.

If the Jin army falls into disarray, they might end up losing their lives unexpectedly.

He then summoned his personal guards, boarded Liu Zhong's warship, and sailed from Zhongshui to Chengdu at top speed.

(End of this chapter)