Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 189 Deterrence

If Sun En stayed in Kuaiji, he could only cause harm temporarily and would definitely not be able to withstand the siege of the Northern Army.

Even if there were 300,000 people, they would not be a match for the imperial court.

What's more, not all of these people truly support Sun En.

But when he retreated to the island, he suddenly had a free and open world and the whole game came alive.

The coastline of Jiangzuo is thousands of miles long and can be landed anywhere. The imperial navy was destroyed and it would be difficult to rebuild in a short period of time, so the Tianshi Dao gained the strategic initiative.

From this perspective, there is no shortage of talented people with a global perspective in the Tianshi Dao.

The Three Wus and Eight Counties had been destroyed in the war, the Sima family's roots had been cut off, and all the noble families had been implicated, which actually helped the Huan family a lot.

Liu Huaishen and Liu Daogui thought the same thing. "The Huan family's rise is unstoppable. The only remaining obstacle is Yang Qunqi, a refugee leader from the north. He doesn't have deep roots in Jiangling and is definitely no match for Huan Xuan. A clash between the Northern and Western Prefectures is inevitable."

Liu Laozhi was in charge of the Northern Palace, holding great power and having great potential. The tide of the times pushed him to the forefront and made him one of the beneficiaries.

In addition to Liu Laozhi and Huan Xuan, Liu Yu and Liu Daogui also benefited from it, gaining reputation and winning the hearts of the army.

As he was speaking, several riders came galloping over, reined in their horses outside the camp, not daring to enter, and shouted, "General Wei has ordered General Liu to return to Ancheng for a meeting."

learn from mistakes.

These Xie family doormen now all say "please", but they were not so polite before.

Judging from the way they looked like they were facing a formidable enemy, they must have known how the gatekeeper who delivered the last message died.

"Please report this to General Wei. Liu Daogui will obey your orders."

Others are polite, and Liu Daogui is also polite.

The gatekeepers turned around and left without saying a word, not wanting to stay a moment longer.

Liu Huaishen's face was full of sympathy. "I'm afraid General Wei is setting up a Hongmen Banquet in Ancheng."

While others were rushing to Kuaiji County, Xie Yan stayed behind and did nothing, which was illogical.

You don't have to guess to know that they are afraid of the conquering army.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "The Hongmen Feast is useless to the Liu family. I've been to the Hongmen Feast several times and nothing happened to me. Why should I be afraid of Xie Yan?"

After following Xie Yan through mountains and rivers, I gained a general understanding of the combat effectiveness of the Xie family's Taiwanese soldiers. They were not a rabble, but they were not that strong either.

Liu Huaishen said, "After all, we have more people and more power. It would be better to turn east and join Commander Liu."

"You should solve your own problems yourself. If I don't go, he will just keep pestering me. Send out orders, beat drums and horns, make a big fuss, and return to Ancheng!" Liu Daogui waved his hand.

Things are different now. The foundations of the noble families have been cut off, and they no longer have the power they once had.

The heart is lost.

If Xie Yan wanted to deal with me, he would have to consider whether he had the ability to do so.

As soon as the military order was given, the soldiers immediately returned, drums and horns sounded, and they advanced westward.

After two days of marching, the troops arrived at the city.

Every victory boosted the morale a little bit, and the spirit of the soldiers changed imperceptibly, and the murderous aura on their bodies became more and more solemn.

As expected, the city gate was closed.

The soldiers on the city wall were facing a formidable enemy, and they drew their bows and crossbows and aimed them towards the city.

Liu Daogui was amused and approached with his soldiers. "I, General Liu Daogui, am returning as ordered. Why are you closing the city gates? Where is General Wei?"

The city was silent.

After more than ten breaths, someone finally said, "General Wei has ordered that Lieutenant Liu enter the city alone!"

A rope was lowered from the top of the city wall.

Once you go up, you will be at the mercy of others.

These children of the aristocratic families have been taking Wu Shi San for years, which has caused them to have unclear minds and they are capable of doing anything.

In the final analysis, wasn't this chaos in the Three Wus caused by Sima Yuanxian's impulsive thinking?

"I have fought through all obstacles and defeated the two bandit armies. I have done nothing wrong. Why does General Wei treat me like this and not even open the city gates?" Liu Daogui said in a loud and upright voice.

The defenders on the city wall could no longer bear to watch and dropped their crossbows.

Xie Yan never showed care for his soldiers, which discredited them, and naturally, his men were unwilling to fight for him. The Northern Army, however, was a united force, full of kinship and kinship. Even if these soldiers didn't know Liu Daogui, they knew the name of the Pengcheng Liu family.

Liu Laozhi was the governor of the Northern Palace.

His elder brother Liu Yu single-handedly chased and killed more than a thousand rebel soldiers in Wujun, and his reputation soared, which also served as a silent deterrent.

The army admires the strong the most. The Liu family of Pengcheng had Liu Laozhi in the past and Liu Yu and Liu Daogui in the future. It is clear at a glance where the army's morale lies.

If Liu Daogui was in Jiankang City, he would hardly be spared, but that might not be the case in the army.

No one in the city said a word for half a day.

Liu Daogui became more and more contemptuous of Xie Yan. He asked Xie Yan to come back, but he did not dare to show up. He winked at the troops behind him.

"Kaicheng!"

The soldiers roared loudly, shaking the earth and mountains. The roar echoed repeatedly in the mountains and forests. The birds in the forest jumped up and flapped their wings slanting into the sky.

A few bird feathers floated slowly in the mountain breeze and landed in front of the city gate.

Some on the city walls also complained, "Liu Canjun has done a great job in defeating the enemy, why is General Wei doing this?"

"General Wei treats our Northern Army like thieves. How can this be justified?"

"Alas, on this journey, has General Wei ever shown any sympathy to us?"

As your reputation grows, benefits will come and naturally people will speak up for you.

The hostility in the city dissipated instantly.

Liu Daogui has spent so much money in the past few years and has won the hearts of many people. Through word of mouth, he has gained a reputation.

Since the founding of the Northern Palace Army, only Xi Jian was able to share the hardships with the soldiers.

Seeing that the situation was gradually turning in Liu Daogui's favor, a man on the city wall suddenly said, "General Wei is not feeling well and has caught a cold. How about General Liu camping outside the city?"

When this person appeared, the discussions on the city wall suddenly stopped.

The soldiers slowly raised their bows and crossbows again.

Gao Xun beside him said, "Gao Su... the son of Gao Heng, my uncle..."

"Aren't you from the Le'an Gao family? What's your relationship with the Bohai Gao family?" Liu Daogui wondered.

Gao Xun smiled bitterly and said, "The Bohai Gao family also originated from Le'an. After migrating south, they recognized each other as relatives. The news about Jiankang before was spread by them."

The Liu family had ruled the world for more than four hundred years. The clan was too complex and outside the five degrees of mourning, they had long been strangers to each other. Liu Daogui and Liu Laozhi were not very close either.

However, the Gao family is still united and supports each other.

The Gao family had some reputation in the Northern Army. It was Gao Su's father Gao Heng who had previously persuaded Liu Laozhi to betray Wang Gong. Gao Su's son Gao Yazhi was Liu Laozhi's son-in-law.

He had to give him face. Liu Daogui only wanted to give Xie Yan a warning and didn't intend to actually mutiny. So he decided to withdraw while he was ahead. "I obey your orders!"

If it really comes to a mutiny, there may not be many people who will follow you.

The current situation is actually beneficial to Liu Daogui.

In the overall situation, Huan Xuan and Liu Laozhi benefited, while within the Northern Palace Army, Liu Yu and Liu Daogui rose in power.

Everything has a process. When it is not your turn, you can only bow your head and wait for the right time. You cannot try to fight against fate.

But the soldiers were unwilling to do so. "We obeyed General Wei's orders and hurried back. We are hungry and thirsty!"

Gao Su on the city wall smiled and said, "No problem, no problem."

Not long after, baskets of cooked meat and wine were lowered from the city wall, along with a group of powerless women.

Apparently, they haven't been idle these days, robbing children everywhere...

Liu Huaishen quickly reminded, "Be careful, there's a trap!"

Defenses can not do without.

Liu Daogui immediately issued an order: "Eat as much meat as you want, but don't drink any wine, and don't touch women. Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed!"

The soldiers complained a few times but did not dare to disobey military orders.

After all, women staying in the military camp were a nuisance. A truly strong man would not bully the weak. Liu Daogui distributed some food to them and let them escape on their own...

(End of this chapter)