Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 67 Entering the City
With a creaky sound, the city gate slowly opened.

Liu Daogui was delighted, as the Cao family really didn't want to take matters to the extreme.

For so many years, this family has had people with swords and land, and has been staying in the city of Yu. It can be seen that they don't have much ambition, they just want to have a place to stay and reproduce the clan.

In fact, this is the case for most people and families in the world.

Including the Liu family, if they could have enough food and clothing, Liu Daogui would not want to risk his life everywhere.

As long as the city gate is opened, everything else can be discussed.

"Dao Ze...something seems to be wrong in the city." Gao Xun frowned.

Liu Daogui followed his gaze and saw a flash of armor and swords behind the city gate. The momentum of the defenders on the city wall changed and became more solemn and murderous.

"General Liu, please!" Another steady and powerful voice came from the top of the city wall.

The city gate was indeed opened, but the other side also took up their stance.

It was indeed not easy for the Cao family to occupy the city of Xicheng in Lanling County where all kinds of people lived together.

Liu Daogui used his power to attack the Cao family, and the Cao family also responded in kind.

Liu Guangzhi's face was filled with murderous intent. "Now that the city gates are open, we might as well strike first. I will lead our elite troops into the city. Every Northern Army soldier can defeat ten of them!"

A gust of wind blew, carrying a murderous aura.

"The Cao family has been entrenched here for several years. We don't know the strength of the city. The Northern Army can certainly defeat ten with one, but we can't let blood flow in vain. The Cao family is just testing my courage. You wait outside, I will go alone. If anything goes wrong, you all return to Pengcheng immediately, tell my brother, and avenge me!"

Liu Daogui made up his mind and walked towards the city gate alone regardless of everyone's dissuasion.

Burdened with a huge debt and with Chishan Village burned down, he had no choice.

I had insisted on coming to the city. If I had retreated when I encountered some difficulties, I would have been looked down upon by the soldiers...

Almost everyone in the city and outside the city was looking at it with admiration.

Although he knew that the Cao family would most likely not take action, he couldn't help but feel doubtful when he was actually faced with these cold and gleaming swords.

More than thirty armored soldiers stood straight, their eyes sharp and fierce, holding their swords tightly, as if they were ready to chop down at any time. Each of them exuded a murderous aura, and they were obviously the elite of the Cao family, who had fought on the battlefield and had taken countless lives on their hands.

If Liu Daogui showed weakness at this moment, the advantage he had just established would be gone.

They will not be able to suppress the Cao family, and they will never be able to gain a foothold in the city in the future.

Liu Daogui simply held his head high and strode forward, weaving through the swords and spears until he reached the center of the armored soldiers. He said in a deep voice, "I am entering the city for my own safety. Do you think the Cao family will be so timid and avoid us?"

"The Liu family of Pengcheng is truly extraordinary. I've only heard of Liu Laozhi and Liu Jingxuan before, but never imagined there would be someone like you!"

A thin man in his fifties was leaning on a crutch and limping down from the city wall step by step, his eyes sparkling. Behind him stood a soldier in his thirties, who was the one shouting on the top of the city wall.

After going down the stone steps, Liu Daogui realized that he only had one leg.

The name sounds domineering, like he's about to soar to the sky, but in reality, he's a lame man who can barely walk...

"My name is Cao Tengyun, from the Cao family of Qiao County!"

This sentence was so powerful that all the Cao family members around him raised their heads and chests.

The Cao family was also divided into several branches, with their ancestral homes in Qiao, Pengcheng, Gaoping and other places.

But the most orthodox branch must be the Cao family of Qiao County, or more precisely, the Cao family of Qiaopei. Han Dynasty Prime Minister Cao Shen and Wei Wu Cao Cao both came from this branch.

In the first year of the Taishi reign (265 AD), Emperor Wu of Jin abdicated and appointed Sima Xun, son of Sima Jin, as King of Qiao, thus establishing the State of Qiao. After the migration south, the King of Qiao was an important title of the Sima family and has been passed down by Sima Jin's family to this day.

The previous generation, Sima Tian, ​​the King of Qiao, was stationed in Jingkou and in control of the Northern Palace. He passed away at the end of last year. His son Sima Shangzhi inherited the title and became the right-hand man of Sima Daozi, the King of Langya.

Cao Tengyun calls himself "Qiao County" instead of "Qiao State", which clearly shows that he looks down on the prince of the Sima family...

"Excuse me, I'm here only to settle and guard the border. I hope you can help me." Liu Daogui said frankly. In fact, Lanling County had plenty of land, and the two families could live in peace.

The original partner was the Xiao family, but Xiao Tingzhi was not compliant.

However, the Cao family is stronger, and since they have opened the city gate, it means that negotiations can continue.

"If County Magistrate Wang and County Magistrate Zhang had half the courtesy you have, they wouldn't have been driven away." Cao Tengyun's expression eased a lot.

Most of the officials sent by the court to various places were bought from Sima Daozi. They were used to the enjoyment in Jiangzuo and naturally could not adapt to the tough people of Lanling.

"What's past is past. I will only take care of military affairs. From now on, the two families will join forces to bring peace to the people of Lanling!" Liu Daogui displayed the military order.

Cao Tengyun glanced at them and said with a smile, "What a bold man! Young soldiers with great potential, truly heroes! Quickly invite you all into the city. We're hosting a banquet today!"

Others were polite, and Liu Daogui was also polite. "There's no need to hold a banquet; it's very expensive. It's better to open the fields as soon as possible to appease the people."

"Since you have come from afar, I will do my best to be a good host. There is a pond called Lushui in the east of the city. Although it is deserted, it only needs a little renovation and hundreds of hectares of fertile land will become available. I will give it to you to cultivate."

A pond is a field with water.

During the Three Kingdoms period, the famous general Deng Ai established large-scale military farms on both sides of the Huai River, developed water conservancy projects, and built more than 50 ponds of various sizes. With sufficient food and soldiers, he suppressed the Eastern Wu.

During the Taikang period, the scale of the project was even larger, and the Huainan Prime Minister Liu Song recruited tens of thousands of young and strong men to repair Shaobi every year.

In Shaobi alone, there are tens of thousands of hectares of fertile farmland.

Liu Daogui thought to himself that he had finally found the right person this time.

However, Cao Tengyun changed the subject and said, "To the north of Lushui Pond, there are two bandits of Taishan bandits, Zhang Fonu and Bai Longzi. Soldiers should be more careful."

Liu Daogui frowned, "How many bandits are there in these two groups?"

Cao Tengyun's eyes flashed, "Zhang Fonu has 1,200 bandits, Bai Longzi has over 700 men, and they also have cavalry."

There is indeed no free gift in the world. The more Liu Daogui listened, the more he felt that this was a trap.

It feels like the Cao family is killing someone with a borrowed knife. If Liu Daogui wins, the Cao family will get rid of a major trouble. If they lose, they will get rid of a heartache. In the future, the Cao family will still be in charge of the city.

Regardless of whether they win or lose, the Cao family will not lose.

"I have been ordered to establish a settlement and cultivate the land, and suppressing bandits is also my duty. I also ask you to report the household registration and population of the city truthfully."

He was shrewd and cunning, and Liu Daogui was not stupid either. He just took the opportunity to use the name of suppressing bandits to concentrate the manpower and material resources of the city.

Now that we have entered this city, the Cao family will no longer have the final say on future matters.

A county town as big as the city of Xi has a population of at least 10,000 people. Together with the surrounding villages, if they were integrated together, it would be no problem for them to turn Taishan upside down, let alone the 2,000 Taishan bandits.

"Hahaha, you're joining the army at such a young age. It's really impressive." Cao Tengyun's eyes flashed.

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "Lanling is located at the junction of Jin and Yan. If we cannot unite as one, we will be taken advantage of by outsiders."

"That's right, that's right. If you have any instructions when you join the army in the future, just tell us. The Cao family will obey you!" Cao Tengyun also laughed.

But his words were so fake that the younger generation of the Cao family behind him trembled.

Liu Daogui feigned compliance and said, "Your Majesty is truly loyal to the court. I will definitely report this to the military headquarters."

These words were to remind him not to be delusional, because your Cao family is just an ant in front of the imperial court.

In just a few words, the two of them had already clashed secretly many times.

"Then I'll have to join the army."

After the greetings were almost over, Liu Daogui turned around and calmly walked through the soldiers and returned to his own troops.

(End of this chapter)