Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 410 Attack

A banquet is being held at the Langya Prince's Mansion in Jiankang.

Besides Sima Dewen, the Prince of Langya, and Sima Shangzhi, the Prince of Qiao, Xie Hun, whom they hadn't seen for a long time, was also present at the table.

Xie Hun married Princess Jinling, making him practically a member of the Sima family.

Three years have passed since Liu Yu last dealt a blow to the Wang and Xie families, and the fear in his heart has long since dissipated. Now that Liu Yu is leading his troops north, Xie Hun is stirring up trouble again.

"What are you waiting for, Uncle? Liu Yu and Liu Daogui are both in the north. If we don't act now, it will be too late." Sima Dewen's face was flushed as the effects of the Five-Stone Powder he had just taken began to take hold.

The best opportunity right now is that there are fewer than two thousand Northern Army soldiers remaining in Jiankang.

Liu Huaisu, Meng Huaiyu, and Kuai En were appointed as generals to take charge of the palace.

Sima Shangzhi said, "It's hateful that Liu Yi, after hearing about the great victory in Guanzhong, is hesitant to raise an army!"

Sima Dewen was incredulous. "He's still hesitating? Liu Yu and Liu Daogui have returned victorious. Is there still a place for him in this world?"

"Alas, I misjudged him back then. This man was ambitious but incompetent. After Meng Chang died, he was terrified." Sima Shangzhi was also filled with regret.

Liu Yi has become increasingly cautious in recent years, keeping such a low profile that people have almost forgotten he exists.

Sima Dewen said, "Isn't there also my fourth uncle? He has a strong and well-equipped army in Wuling."

“Wang Zhen’e is hanging over Wu Ling’s head. If there is any unusual movement, the Tiger Guards of Jiangling and Changsha will arrive in the blink of an eye.”

Sima Xiuzhi was the only remaining member of the Sima family capable of leading troops into battle, but he had long been trapped. From Wuling to Jiankang, he had to traverse mountains and rivers, facing numerous passes and obstacles, and the distant water could not quench the immediate fire.

Sima Xiuzhi remained lukewarm towards Sima Dewen, deliberately avoiding involvement in court disputes.

He even advised Sima Dewen and Sima Shangzhi several times to protect themselves, saying that it was already a blessing that the Sima family could maintain its high status, and that they should not act rashly...

At this moment, Xie Hun spoke up, "Have you two considered how you would face the returning Northern Expeditionary Army even if the uprising succeeds?"

Sima Dewen said, "The families of the Northern Army are all in the city. I summoned them on the grounds of the imperial court's righteousness. Would they then aid and abet the wicked?"

"When Liu Yu and Liu Daogui destroyed Yao Qin, recovered Guanzhong, and defeated Northern Wei, the righteous cause would be on their shoulders. It was still unknown where the people of Jiankang would turn their hearts."

Xie Hun's three years have not been wasted; he has been confined to his room, racking his brains, but has made no progress.

In fact, after destroying Qiao Shu and quelling the rebels, the Liu brothers were already qualified to take over. If it were a Gao family, they would have done so long ago.

Now that the north has won consecutive victories, the two brothers' reputation is soaring, and the Golden Knife Prophecy is being circulated everywhere in Jiankang.

"Are we just going to hand over the 150-year-old empire of the Sima family to someone else?" Sima Dewen's face flushed red.

Sima Shangzhi remained silent, but everyone present knew what was going on.

If there were only one Liu Yu, he could be eliminated through various schemes and tricks.

But after Liu Yu came Liu Daogui, and after Liu Daogui came the Liu family of Pengcheng, as well as the Western and Northern Prefectures...

The biggest difference between Liu Daogui and Liu Yu is that Liu Yu was able to co-govern the country with the aristocratic families, while Liu Daogui took a completely different path. He distributed land to soldiers based on their military achievements, abolished the system of distinguishing between the rich and poor, and extensively employed commoners from humble backgrounds, leaving virtually no way out for the aristocratic families.

Xie Hun's eyes flashed: "The Northern Expedition is the general trend and the will of the people. We cannot go against the tide. If we act now, even if we succeed, we will lose the hearts of the people and be infamous for eternity. Jingren sent a secret letter yesterday saying that Liu Yu's life is not long. He told us to wait and see and do our best to support Liu Yifu and Liu Daogui in their struggle for power. Only when the Liu family fights will we have a chance. Otherwise, we will be courting death!"

The Northern Expedition was almost a consensus among the court and the public. If the Sima family were to openly raise an army, they would be going against the entire world.

Even if they control Jiankang, it will only hasten their own demise.

The reason why Liu Yi and Sima Xiuzhi did not act was because they saw through this conflicting situation.

Intrigue can never be a match for open strategy.

"Liu Yu is going to die? Really?" Sima Dewen immediately became interested.

Xie Hun said, "Jingren secretly examined Liu Juanzi's medicine residue and found aconite in it. After going north, the dosage doubled, which is almost certain."

Xie Yu was well-versed in medicine. Aconite is actually a highly poisonous substance, often used to coat arrowheads to make poisoned arrows.

When decocted together with ginseng, licorice, dried ginger, ephedra, angelica pubescens, angelica sinensis, and chuanxiong, and then combined with 3 parts each of cinnamon bark, atractylodes macrocephala, and asarum, 5 parts of saposhnikovia divaricata, 2 parts of peony root, 1 liang of gentian root, 40 apricot kernels, and 1 liang of scutellaria baicalensis, one can make a life-extending decoction.

Although it cannot bring the dead back to life, it can at least keep people alive.

"Great! Great! Heaven blesses the Jin dynasty, Heaven blesses my family!" Sima Dewen was overjoyed.

He lived in Jiankang for many years, and his fear of Liu Yu was far greater than that of Liu Daogui.

With Liu Yu dead, Liu Daogui would at most be a Huan Wen. Once he takes control of Jiankang, he will have plenty of ways to divide and weaken him.

This was also the last glimmer of hope for the aristocratic families.

Anyway, the Jin dynasty is a quagmire; once you get involved, nobody will have an easy time, and everyone will sink in. Even if this generation fails, the next generation will be dragged down.

The aristocratic families may not have other skills, but they certainly have this kind of self-confidence. When Huan Xuan first usurped the throne, he also wanted to work hard and reform the bureaucracy, but he eventually got caught up in it and couldn't accomplish anything.

"We should follow the example of Emperor Xuan. As long as we live long enough, the outcome is still uncertain!" Sima Shangzhi said with a face full of piety.

If you live long enough, you'll always find one or two opportunities...

Xincheng, Qinghe Commandery, Jizhou.

Suddenly, a series of muffled thunderclaps echoed through the clear sky, startling countless birds in the forest.

A black cavalry force approached from afar, sweeping over the hills like a tide, turning the withered yellow earth black.

The cavalry did not move fast. After walking ten miles at a brisk pace, they slowed down to rest their horses. They also divided the ten thousand cavalry into two groups, one in front and one behind, with a distance of twenty-five miles between them.

If the front is attacked, the rear can immediately provide reinforcements.

Da Xi Jin was not only a nobleman of the Wei Kingdom, but also one of Tuoba Gui's confidants. He once served as the head of the imperial guards along with Changsun Fei and participated in all the major battles since the rise of the Wei Kingdom.

He was more cautious than ever before when facing the Northern Army.

"With the Battle of Fangtou imminent, we should quickly advance westward, flank the Jin army, and cut off the Central Plains' supplies. Why waste time here?" General An Jie couldn't help but ask.

Throughout the battle, Daxi Jin's elite cavalry charged straight between Liyang and Fangtou, cutting off Liu Yu's retreat and the reinforcements from Huatai.

From the perspective of others, Liu Yu's three thousand men are now doomed to die, and the only concern is that he might escape back to Liyang.

If you arrive late, the credit will be stolen by someone else.

"Do you think Liu Yu and Liu Daogui are like Murong Bao? Even the late emperor was wary of those two brothers and did not set his sights on the Central Plains for many years. Now that they are heading north, this battle is no small matter. We must not be careless!"

Da Xijin was a slow-paced person who spoke in an orderly manner.

"No matter how powerful Liu Yu is, he only needs three thousand men, while we have over ten thousand infantry and cavalry!" An Jie was a Parthian from the Western Regions, a Sogdian, and the third son of An Tong, the Marquis of Beixin. His family was the same family that Shi Hu had migrated from the Western Regions to Hebei.

"Of the hundreds of thousands of infantry and cavalry, fewer than 50,000 are truly capable fighters. The rest are just herdsmen temporarily recruited. Do you expect them to fight Liu Yu to the death?"

“Even with only 50,000 elite troops, it’s enough for a battle.” An Jie was unconcerned. He was young and fearless, after all, he had only been transferred from Pingcheng to Daxi Jin’s command for less than half a year, and he looked down on the Jin people from the bottom of his heart.

But at that moment, Daxi Jin suddenly reined in his warhorse, his eyes fixed intently on the woods to the south, and the more than three thousand riders behind him came to a slow stop as if guided by his own limbs.

It was a grove of broad-leaved poplars, not very dense, with a few paths running through the woods. The leaves had long since turned yellow, but amidst the yellowing leaves, a silvery gleam shone – the cold light of armor.

A cavalry unit appeared and disappeared in the woods.

“The Northern Army!” Daxi Jin narrowed his eyes.

The cavalry slowly emerged from the poplar grove. There were about five thousand of them, lined up in a long row, with long spears raised, and they launched a direct challenge.

However, this cavalry was listless and lacked energy, and their morale seemed low.

An Jie sneered, "The Jin people want to compete with us in cavalry? It's child's play; they dare to show off their limited skills before an expert!"

“The Jin people are ignorant of the wonders of cavalry and dare to challenge us head-on. Their general must be incompetent. Well, let’s take them down first and then rush to Fangtou to their aid.” Da Xi Jin spoke cautiously, but in his heart he habitually looked down on them.

If it were infantry, he might become wary.

However, he never thought he would lose in a head-on cavalry battle. Moreover, this cavalry could have launched a sneak attack by suddenly emerging from the woods, but they chose to confront them head-on, which shows the poor quality of their commander.

It would be a real shame not to eat this piece of fatty meat that's practically offered to you.

At Daxi Jin's command, several thousand cavalrymen rushed forward, forming a pincer movement against the poplar grove.

"Give me the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and I will surely behead the enemy general and return!" An Jie brandished his long spear, and immediately more than 1,300 of his men followed closely behind.

Those who could serve as generals in the Wei Kingdom either had their own tribe or their own retinue.

The An clan of Sogdiana was considered a powerful clan in northern Dai.

"Kill!" the cavalrymen shouted in Sogdian.

Sixty or seventy years after migrating to the Central Plains, the Sogdians still forgot their roots.

An Jie charged ahead with an air of arrogance, brandishing his long spear with high spirits, while banners fluttered behind him.

Meanwhile, over seven hundred cavalrymen from the Jin army on the opposite side charged out, seemingly without any real purpose, as if they were there to die.

(End of this chapter)