Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 503 The Southern Expedition is Imminent (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits; these are nothing more than Liu Jilong paving the way for his future ascension to the throne."

In early February, inside the military camp outside Nanling City in Jiangnan, Gao Pian, the commander-in-chief, casually tossed the intelligence about Jiangbei onto the table with a disdainful expression.

The sand table inside the tent was exquisite, depicting the entire Jiangdong and Liangzhe region.

Although Gao Pian has now recovered Chizhou, due to Sun Ru's defeat at the hands of Yang Xingmin, he can only mobilize 40,000 troops.

Another 20,000 troops are stationed in Wuzhou and Wenzhou and cannot be easily mobilized.

Even so, facing Yang Xingmin's 40,000 troops gathered in Nanling, Song Wei, who was enjoying a peaceful life in the north, still sent the entire Jiangdong region to help Yang Xingmin, hoping that Yang Xingmin would defeat Gao Pian.

"Currently, Jiangdong has 40,000 troops, while our army only has 30,000. In addition, this battle is an attack on a fortified position, so it will probably not be easy to win."

Gao Qin felt that this battle would be difficult, but Gao Pian shook his head: "Yang Xingmin is indeed not easy to deal with, but that's about it."

"Do not forget that our army still has three thousand elite cavalry that have not been mobilized, and Nanling is located on a plain."

"Our army only needs to send three thousand elite cavalry to harass their supply lines, and Yang Xingmin will not be able to leave safely with his forty thousand troops."

Gao Pian was particularly confident because he had already seen the gap between himself and Yang Xingmin.

Although Yang Xingmin was quite capable, he was still too young and inexperienced; otherwise, he wouldn't have lost Chizhou so easily.

"But what if Liu Jilong sends troops to harass our rear?"

Gao Qin frowned and spoke, but Gao Pian said, "Our army is sending troops in the name of the imperial court. If Liu Jilong sends troops to attack our army, then the contingency plan I prepared earlier can be used."

"A backup plan?" Gao Qin looked puzzled, while Gao Pian turned to look at the map and pointed to Qianzhong Road, saying:
"It's already spring, and Liu Jilong has no intention of launching a military campaign, which clearly means he's not prepared."

"Liu Jilong's troops were all from the north, with only a small number from the south. Northern troops were not well-suited to the summer and autumn climate of the Jiangnan region. Therefore, Liu Jilong would not have launched an attack on Hunan and Jiangnan before the autumn harvest."

“If he wants to launch an attack, he can only do so by taking the Jiannan Road and then attacking the Qianzhong Road. And those stone fortresses in the Qianzhong Road are one of my methods.”

"As for the second measure, we can only use it after he mobilizes his troops."

“As long as he uses this method, his so-called righteousness will be exposed from all sides.”

As Gao Pian spoke, Gao Qin immediately realized, "Are you planning to support Prince Pu?"

After realizing what was happening, Gao Qin shook his head and said, "But merely supporting Prince Pu and using the imperial seal to create a forged edict would only cause Liu Jilong to lose his sense of righteousness."

"Without the greater good, Liu Jilong still has hundreds of thousands of troops and the entire north. What can we use to stop him?"

When asked, Gao Pian replied calmly, "If the greater good is lost, what use are the ruler and his ministers in Luoyang?"

"Would Liu Jilong's generals remain indifferent?"

"Even if it only causes Liu Jilong a few months of headaches, we will have achieved our goal."

Gao Pian wants to stall; if he can drag it out until next spring, he will have won most of the battle.

The strength of Jiangdong and Liangzhe far exceeded his expectations. If he could acquire Liangzhe and Jiangdong, it would not be impossible for him to block Liu Jilong and establish a separatist regime in Jiangnan.

"Do not make this public. Wait until autumn before instructing Kuang Shiqian to prepare the necessary items for the coronation."

"Since I can plant spies in Jiangbei, Liu Jilong can certainly do the same. We must not let the news leak out."

Gao Pian gave instructions to Gao Qin, and seeing him nod solemnly, he turned to look at the sand table behind him.

"If we wait a few more days and Song Wei does not send any more reinforcements, then it will mean that these 40,000 troops are the last remaining strength of Jiangdong."

"If that's the case, then I'll accept it without hesitation!"

He looked at Jiangdong on the sand table, his eyes flashing, and Gao Qin and the others behind him also perked up.

It seemed to them that the entire Jiangdong region would soon be adorned with the banners of Bohai.

Their only real opponent seems to be Liu Jilong from the north; the others are just minor figures in the story.

As their previously discussed rival, Liu Jilong, who was at the center of the rumors, also entered Dengzhou territory at a leisurely pace amidst the discussions in the south.

"Everyone, make sure you're in the right position!"

"Since you have chosen to join the Vanguard as foot soldiers, you must always remember what you are supposed to do!"

"If you disrupt the entire formation, even if your brothers on the left and right don't blame you, do you think your family won't blame you either?!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill..."

In early February, as the people of Shannan East Road began preparing for spring plowing, the sounds of drills echoed within a radius of about one mile west of Nanyang City.

On the drill ground, seasoned veterans are instructing new recruits on their training. Each veteran serves as a squad leader and deputy squad leader, with two veterans training ten new recruits.

Their words were harsh, but their aim was always to train these soldiers better and make them stronger so that they could protect themselves in the upcoming battles.

"How long have these new recruits been recruited? What are their daily meals like? Have they all started literacy training?"

On the training platform, Liu Jilong stood in the main seat and looked at the thousands of new soldiers training on the training ground. With his eyesight, he could clearly see that most of these new soldiers were thin and weak, with slender limbs.

With such a frail body, let alone wearing armor, it's impossible to even meet the requirements of current daily training.

You must know that the Han army trains every day, drills every three days, and holds a major exercise every ten days. Without strength and endurance, it is impossible to withstand it.

"Your Highness..."

The one training these new soldiers is Ma Cheng's fourth son, Ma Zhang, who now serves as the training commander and is responsible for training all new soldiers within Dengzhou.

He was slightly more handsome than his elder brother Ma Yi, and was more of a scholar-general.

In response to Liu Jilong's question, he replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Instead of having this humble general relay your message to Your Highness, why not invite Your Highness to dine with the soldiers?"

“Okay!” Liu Jilong readily accepted his invitation, then looked at Cao Mao and Zhao Ying, who had just joined the group yesterday: “Let’s all come together.”

"Yes!!" Cao Mao and Zhao Ying had no objection. Before they met Liu Jilong, they couldn't even get enough to eat.

The Han soldiers had always been well-fed, so they had nothing to worry about.

Seeing this, Ma Zhang looked at the captain under his command and ordered him, "Blow the whistle and gather the brothers to line up for food in the mess hall!"

"Yes!" The young captain quickly saluted and bowed, then picked up the wooden whistle and blew it abruptly.

"Beep--"

The piercing wooden whistle sounded, and the soldiers on the drill ground immediately assembled into squads, then squads into brigades, then regiments, and finally into two armies of more than three thousand men.

The entire process took less than fifteen minutes, which greatly satisfied Liu Jilong. After all, when thousands of students in later generations held flag-raising ceremonies, it only took a few minutes or even a dozen minutes.

For these new recruits who had been in the army for less than a month, and whose number of illiterate soldiers was over 99%, this pace was not slow.

"If the training continues, I am confident that I can shorten the time to half a cup of tea within three months."

Ma Zhang respectfully replied to Liu Jilong, but Liu Jilong didn't care: "Go and see the food you've given to the new recruits first."

Liu Jilong knew that the standards he set were standards, but in reality, many troops could not meet them.

This is not to say that the rations provided by the imperial court to the soldiers were insufficient, but rather that each region had its own difficulties and conditions did not allow for such rations.

"Beep--"

At Ma Zhang's signal, the whistle soon began to sound rhythmically, and the two flag bearers behind the captain also began to wave the command flag.

The flag signals on the two command flags were very simple, and the veteran soldiers had already memorized them. Therefore, they could use the flag signals to direct the new soldiers to move in the order of the ranks.

"There are 3,200 new recruits in the camp, so they are divided into two mess halls, east and west. Which mess hall does Your Highness wish to dine in?"

"Let's go to the west." Liu Jilong said, looking towards the more distant west, then stepped down from the platform and led everyone toward the canteen on the west side.

Many of the new recruits in the ranks were gazing in the direction of Liu Jilong, because they all knew that a big shot had come to the military camp today, but they didn't know just how important this big shot was.

But what we see now is that the six-foot-tall figure can truly be called a big shot, at least much taller than the group of people who are only five feet four or five inches tall.

Those officers who were usually much taller than them all looked several feet shorter standing next to that figure.

They were looking at Liu Jilong, and Liu Jilong was also constantly observing them.

"It has been almost three years since the imperial court recovered Dengzhou, yet these new soldiers are so thin and weak, which shows that they have not been living well."

"As I traveled south, I saw that most of the people were thin and weak, and there was still a lot of wasteland available for cultivation. But were there some difficulties in the local areas?"

As Liu Jilong walked toward the canteen, he spoke to those around him. Upon hearing this, Ma Zhang replied, "Your Highness, Shannan East Circuit has suffered extensive damage from the soldiers, and many families have no surplus food."

"Although the court exempted the first year's taxes, this could only allow the people to barely restore the cultivated land they had previously grown, and many barren fields could not be reclaimed and cultivated."

Ma Zhang's explanation makes some sense. Shannan East Circuit, including Jiangling Prefecture, had only 1.27 million people, and its area was even larger than Hubei Province, which was not much different in location in later generations.

Although the land was vast, the people had no surplus grain to cultivate, and the imperial court was unable to provide the people with money and grain due to the drought in the north and the ongoing wars. Naturally, the people of Shannan East Circuit were in a worse situation.

If Liu Jilong could continue to allocate grain to the people for land reclamation as before, and all the cultivated land obtained from land reclamation would be distributed equally among the people as public land, then the people of Shannan East Road would be able to live a good life.

This principle applies not only here, but to all the roads in the Kanto region that were destroyed by war.

Thinking this, Liu Jilong also walked to the mess hall of the military camp. The mess hall mainly consisted of a kitchen with blue bricks and gray tiles, as well as a thatched shed with benches and a three-foot bamboo fence.

Inside the thatched shed, there were many tables, chairs, and benches. One wall of the kitchen, made of blue bricks and gray tiles, was exposed. A table was placed on it, with wooden bowls and chopsticks and five large buckets of rice soup, meat, and vegetables.

By this time, some soldiers had already arrived and were well-fed and watered.

Upon seeing Liu Jilong and his group arrive, he immediately stood up and bowed, then looked at Cao Mao as if to say that the food was safe to eat.

Cao Mao nodded in satisfaction, while Liu Jilong stepped forward, picked up the wooden bowl and chopsticks, and walked to the wooden bucket to examine it.

Millet rice, radish soup, stewed fish slices, and stir-fried wild vegetables were laid out in front of him. He used the serving spoon to test the contents, but seeing that there were more fish slices than soup in the bucket, he nodded in satisfaction.

After getting his own food, Liu Jilong sat down not far away and quietly watched the soldiers enter the mess hall, line up for their meals, and then sit down to rest. Most of them chose to stay away from their table.

If it weren't for military regulations, the soldiers at the tables around them would probably rather squat in a corner to eat than dare to eat next to them.

Liu Jilong didn't say anything, but watched as the five large wooden barrels were changed again and again in the kitchen. More than fifty cooks were running back and forth in the kitchen until they gradually slowed down after half an hour. The more than one thousand soldiers who had come here had also eaten and drunk their fill and continued to walk out of the mess hall to rest.

After all the soldiers had left, Liu Jilong turned to Ma Zhang and asked, "How much is the monthly allowance for the soldiers' soup and meals? How does it compare to the standard?"

The food allowance was for soldiers who had enlisted in the army. The imperial court allocated funds and grain to various circuits, which then distributed the money to local military camps.

"The brothers in the camp spend 3,000 strings of cash on soup and rice every month. This is the amount set by the Governor's Office last December."

Ma Zhang confessed truthfully, while Liu Jilong asked, "Is this little bit of money for soup and rice enough for the brothers to eat their fill?"

“It’s certainly enough, even with a surplus,” Ma Zhang replied, and then went on to explain the local situation to Liu Jilong.

"The people of Jingchu mainly eat fish, shrimp, and meat sauce. They don't know how to make many things, but the cooks in the military camp know how to prepare them. Therefore, many foods that are considered extremely cheap by the people of Nanyang can be bought by our army as meals."

“When Governor Li was still in Shannan East Circuit, he ordered the castrators in the army to go to various villages to teach the methods of castrating and fattening pigs. The meat sent by these villages was also purchased at a price higher than the market price. The people benefited, and the brothers also got meat.”

“Now, all the villages outside Nanyang City have established contact with the military camp. More than thirty villages send more than ten pigs and sheep every day, and as few as six or seven.”

"Although we can't let the soldiers eat to their hearts' content, there is no shortage of meat."

Seeing how well Ma Zhang explained it, Liu Jilong couldn't help but ask, "What are the local prices like?"

"Beef and mutton are 22 qian per jin, pork is about 20 qian, fat chicken is 200 qian, wild duck is 180 qian, and goose is 400 qian. The prices of various vegetables vary, but are mostly between 8 and 30 qian per 100 jin."

Ma Zhang provided an accurate account and also explained the local labor costs to Liu Jilong.

Within Dengzhou, the daily wage for hired laborers is only ten coins, while that for craftsmen ranges from fifty to one hundred coins.

Jobs that require no skills and only involve physical labor are undoubtedly the cheapest among all types of jobs.

Anyone who masters a skill can earn dozens or even hundreds of coins, enough to eat meat and drink alcohol without worry.

In this era, if you wanted to become a craftsman, you either had to become an apprentice in the government office or pay your own way to become an apprentice to a folk craftsman.

Without connections or money, there was nowhere to learn a trade, so joining the army became the most desired profession for people everywhere.

"That's not bad."

Having learned about the situation of the people of Dengzhou, Liu Jilong gained a general understanding of the situation of the people of the entire Shannan East Circuit.

After all, Dengzhou and Tangzhou suffered greatly from Qin Zongquan's tyranny. If they can develop like this now, then other places are even more promising.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong stood up, then looked at the newly recruited soldiers who had already walked away in the distance, and couldn't help but instruct Ma Zhang beside him:
"You don't have much time to train your troops. You'll have to start preparing for the war in the south by October at the latest."

"If the war cannot be ended by February or March of next year, you should prepare to march south."

"Yes!" Ma Zhang quickly straightened his posture, bowed, and accepted the order.

Liu Jilong nodded slightly, and then led Cao Mao out of the camp.

Ma Zhang and others escorted them from behind until they saw Liu Jilong and Cao Mao mount their horses and return to Nanyang City under the protection of elite cavalry. Only then did they return to their military camp.

Just as he had done in Heyin, Cao Mao found a courtyard in Nanyang for Liu Jilong to handle his daily affairs, and notified the government to take control of the neighborhood where the courtyard was located.

For a time, everyone in Nanyang knew that a great figure had come to the city, while Liu Jilong continued to devote himself to governing the country and occasionally went out of the city to visit the countryside and investigate the people's livelihood.

With the foundation he laid in Longyou, coupled with his ability to manage the country, officials, and war simultaneously, the Han army replaced the original officials in every place it passed through within two months.

The original situation consisted of appointed officials and local clerks from powerful families. If appointed officials wanted to govern the area well, they needed to appoint these clerks from powerful families. Therefore, appointed officials could not change much about the area.

However, after the Han army arrived, Liu Jilong, relying on his large network of students, simply swept away all the original officials and replaced them with officials from outside the official system.

Although there will be language problems, many issues can be resolved by simply hiring a few locals who know both the local dialect and Mandarin to act as translators at the government office for very low wages.

Liu Jilong's method was naturally good for the imperial court, as it meant that power was more concentrated in the government offices.

However, for the local powerful clans, the replacement of their clan officials meant that many of their hidden people and lands could no longer be concealed.

As a result, as land surveys and registrations continued in Hebei, more and more civil unrest broke out in the region.

The powerful and wealthy only need to start instigating the people and distribute some rice and wheat to those suffering from drought, and these people will follow them like vagrants and start causing trouble.

"Burn! Set it on fire!"

"If the government won't give us an explanation, then we'll demand one ourselves!"

"The imperial court wants to distribute land equally, but the local government has been failing to do so for months. It must be that corrupt officials are unwilling to part with the land. The villagers are all going to the county government to demand an explanation!"

As news of Liu Jilong's southward journey spread, the powerful figures who had previously feared his might suddenly sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

It was common for people to be coerced into storming government offices and setting fire to government granaries and warehouses. Although there were troops in Hebei Province, they were mainly used to defend against the Xi and Khitan people in the north, and there were not many troops in central and southern Hebei.

Faced with the ensuing war in Hebei Province, Luo Yin, who was in charge of the military governorship, acted decisively and directly requested that troops be transferred from Henan and Hedong to suppress these powerful local lords.

Moreover, to demonstrate the court's sincerity, he also deployed troops to protect the homes of those aristocratic families, causing many of them in Hebei to remain neutral for several months.

The flames of war in Hebei burned from February to April, and many powerful local lords were suppressed and pacified by the army.

Luo Yin discovered many interesting things in it, so he specially submitted a memorial to Nanyang.

When Liu Jilong saw his memorial, it was already late April.

"Are monasteries and nunneries involved too?"

In a courtyard within Nanyang City, Cao Mao looked at the letter that Liu Jilong had just placed down, and was surprised by the letter's mention of monks and nuns secretly sending servants to resist the equal distribution of land. Most of the monks Cao Mao had encountered were of high moral character, like Wuzhen and his disciples, so he had never encountered monks or nuns directing servants to resist the equal distribution of land.

"It's not surprising. These monks and nuns own a lot of land. The imperial court has long since issued a decree to equalize the land of temples and to re-examine the monks and nuns' Buddhist teachings before revoking their ordination certificates."

"These people must have known this, which is why they chose to help the powerful."

Liu Jilong explained to him, but his gaze remained fixed on the memorial sent by Zhang Chang, the Circuit Intendant of Guannei, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Tell Luo Zhaojian that as long as there is evidence, regardless of the reputation of the monks and nuns in the temple, arrest them all and exile them to Pingzhou."

"Furthermore, all the property of powerful families should be confiscated. Don't worry about how these families view the court. At worst, we can sell them all our antiques, paintings, and books cheaply and then find another opportunity to retrieve them later."

"Yes!" Cao Mao replied, naturally knowing what the so-called "retrieval" meant.

As he agreed, Liu Jilong placed Zhang Chang's memorial on the table and said coldly:

"Li Sigong hasn't replied to any messages for months. Does he think he can hold off the imperial army with this Dijinze?"

"An imperial edict orders Zhang Chang, Zheng Chu, and An Pohu to mobilize cavalry and infantry from within the town and launch a three-pronged attack on the Dangxiang. Those who refuse to relocate... shall be executed!"

"Your subject obeys the order." Seeing that Liu Jilong was about to mobilize troops, Cao Mao quickly agreed and then sent a fast horse to deliver the message.

He had only been out of the courtyard for a short while when he hurriedly returned, followed by Zhao Ying, who was carrying several letters.

Upon seeing Zhao Ying, Liu Jilong knew something had happened.

"Your Highness, a spy from Jiangnan has reported that Gao Pian is fighting Yang Xingmin outside Nanling City. Gao Pian has used his cavalry to flank Yang Xingmin and cut off his supply lines. Yang Xingmin has asked Song Wei for help, but Song Wei remains unmoved."

"When Yang Xingmin learned that Song Wei was not moving, he could only hold Nanling and ordered Li Shenfu to lead his troops to Shezhou."

"On February 22, Gao Pian launched a strong attack with catapults and gunpowder, and after the ram's horn wall collapsed, he engaged in battle with Yang Xingmin."

"On the 26th, Li Shenfu led his army through Shezhou to launch a surprise attack on Chizhou. Gao Pian ordered his general Wang Guan to lead more than a thousand cavalry to the rescue, but Li Shenfu ambushed and defeated Wang Guan."

"Gao Pian remained unmoved and continued his fierce attack on Nanling. On the tenth day of the third month, he captured Nanling City. Yang Xingmin fled to Xuancheng, and Li Shenfu withdrew to Shezhou."

While reporting this matter, Zhao Ying handed the military report to Liu Jilong. As soon as Liu Jilong finished reading it, Zhao Ying gave a brief account of the battle.

In the match between Gao Pian and Yang Xingmin, Gao Pian ultimately won with a greater advantage, but it seems the cost was considerable.

"According to what the letter said, Gao Pian's troops must have suffered many casualties, otherwise they would not have allowed Yang Xingmin to break through the encirclement."

Liu Jilong identified something noteworthy and continued to instruct Zhao Ying:

"Closely monitor Gao Pian's movements. He will likely head north to occupy Caishiji and Dangtu County first, in order to prevent our army from crossing the river and entering Jiangdong."

"Then why don't our troops seize it?" Cao Mao asked hurriedly upon hearing this.

"Our army has no need to seize it," Liu Jilong replied without hesitation, then said to Cao Mao:

"Our army is not good at naval warfare, so the best approach is to lure their troops to Hebei, then cut off their retreat, annihilate them all on the north bank of the Yangtze River, and then cross the river to sweep them away."

Gao Pian dared to command Liang Zuan and Yu Gongchu to lead troops to the north of the Yangtze River because he believed his navy was stronger.

As long as he has a navy that can control the Yangtze River, he can withdraw his troops north of the river at any time.

Liu Jilong wanted this illusion from him; only in this way could he annihilate Gao Pian's main force north of the Yangtze River.

Before that, he needed to attract more troops to Jiangbei before launching a decisive attack on Jiangbei.

"The imperial edict ordered Chen Jingchong, Zhang Wu, Liu Yingyan, and Dou Bin to each lead 10,000 troops into Shannan East Circuit to encircle the eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River."

"There's no need to conceal our tracks; we must let Gao Pian know that I have already mobilized a large number of troops to fight him."

After Liu Jilong gave his orders, Zhao Ying bowed without hesitation, while Cao Mao asked:
"Your Highness, if Gao Pian does not engage our army in a decisive battle north of the river, then our army..."

"That's exactly what I wanted!" Liu Jilong stood up and laughed.

“If he were to fight me in the north of the river, I could severely damage his army, then defeat his navy with my own, annihilate his entire force in the north of the river, and then sweep across the south of the river.”

"If he retreats to Jiangnan, he will surely send a large force to Guizhou, while our army can directly attack Hunan and dismember it."

If possible, Liu Jilong would naturally want to leave Gao Pian's troops in Jiangbei, but if Gao Pian were to retreat in fear, he could use other methods to deal with Gao Pian.

Whether it's marching into battle or playing children's games, it's all about responding to each move as it comes.

He can make moves, and Gao Pian can counter them, but in the end, it all comes down to fists.

Liu Jilong's fist was harder than Gao Pian's, which was his reason for being confident of winning.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Seeing that Liu Jilong had already made multiple preparations, Cao Mao immediately stopped asking questions and walked out of the yamen with Zhao Ying to send the imperial edict to the various circuits.

Under his imperial decree, tens of thousands of troops from various regions began to enter Shannan East Circuit over the next two months, encircling the eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River under Gao Pian's command from all sides.

The court's massive troop movements could not be kept secret from Gao Pian. Moreover, with Liu Jilong making such a grand show of it, Gao Pian didn't even need to deliberately probe to know Liu Jilong's intentions.

"Does he intend to fight me in Jiangbei?"

In late May, as the summer harvest began in the north, Gao Pian sat in the county government office in Nanling City, with Wang Zhongren, Gao Qin, Sun Ru and other generals sitting in front of him, all of whom were watching him.

"The number of troops gathered by Liu Jilong is probably no less than 200,000, or even more."

Wang Zhongren spoke to Gao Pian with a grave expression, adding, "Although our army won at Nanling, we suffered no fewer than 15,000 casualties. Now, we are unable to advance any further on the eastern front..."

He looked at Gao Pian and couldn't help but bow, saying, "King Gao, what should we do now?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, Liu Muzhi's 200,000-strong army has surrounded eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River. Why don't we withdraw?"

“Our navy is strong and powerful. As long as we withdraw, Liu Jilong will not be able to cross the river and will have no choice but to attack Qianzhong.”

"Yes, withdraw our troops to fight them in Jiangnan, and support them in fighting a bloody battle in Qianzhong."

"Guizhou is not a good place to fight; the Han army will inevitably suffer heavy losses!"

"King Gao, give the order!"

"King Gao..."

The generals each had their own ideas, but their goal was clear: to abandon Jiangbei and fight Liu Jilong in Jiangnan.

If it were a general with great talent and ambition, he would naturally not have abandoned the eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River, which served as a bridgehead for the northern expedition.

However, Gao Pian's previous move to relocate people from eight prefectures to the south had already made many people realize that their King Gao did not seem to want to fight Liu Jilong in the north, but rather preferred to establish a separatist regime in the south.

Under the watchful eyes of his generals, Gao Pian stood up and paced back and forth, unable to make up his mind.

He was reluctant to abandon the eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River, even though there were not many people left in those prefectures, as they were, after all, the bridgehead for the northern expedition.

Furthermore, he was well aware that if he insisted on fighting Liu Jilong in the eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River, Liu Jilong could easily mobilize his troops using his cavalry.

Liu Jilong has too many cavalry and horsemen under his command, and it is not a good idea to fight him north of the Yangtze River.

After much deliberation, Gao Pian couldn't help but feel a little irritated, but when he looked at Gao Qin, he suddenly calmed down.

A northern expedition is not easy. If the ruler is capable, it's fine, but if he is not, it will be a disaster.

Fortunately, Gao Pian did not intend to launch a northern expedition. His plan was to use the many defensive lines north of the Yangtze River, the Han River, and the Dabie Mountains to wear down the Han army layer by layer, thus preparing for his actions after autumn.

"By imperial decree, Liang Zuan and Yu Gongchu are to hold fast to the prefectures and counties north of the Yangtze River. Without my military order, the troops in these prefectures and counties are not to move!"

Gao Pian's words disappointed everyone, because it meant that they were likely to change their focus and concentrate their efforts on Jiangbei.

"Furthermore, tell them that there are no reinforcements, only naval forces to meet them."

"Also, tell Kuang Shiqian to recruit 30,000 soldiers in Jiangxi, ready to reinforce our army at any time."

"Yes!!" Upon hearing this, the generals, although they did not agree with Gao Pian's decision to fight on two fronts, believed that fighting on the eastern front against the already heavily damaged Song Wei and Dong Chang was definitely better than going to the northern front to face the Han army's advance.

Moreover, after pacifying Jiangdong, continuing northward to harass Huainan would also be a viable strategy.

Under Gao Pian's imperial edict, the entire Jiangnan region began to take action.

Three days later, Gao Pian broke camp and attacked Xuancheng, the capital of Xuanzhou. At this time, Xuancheng did not have many troops to stop him.

"boom!!"

The sound of slamming against the table echoed through the Xuancheng government office. Yang Xingmin, who was usually calm and collected, looked rather grim at this moment.

This was because among the many generals before him, quite a few advised him to surrender to Gao Pian and hand over Song Wei.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Yang Xingmin tried his best to suppress his temper, but his tone was still unfriendly.

"Although Yang Xingmin is not a gentleman, he would never repay kindness with enmity!"

"I have been kind to Lord Song, but I cannot hand him over!"

Yang Xingmin's words are true. If Song Wei had not chosen him and promoted him step by step, how could he have achieved his current status?
"If we don't have enough troops, we'll retreat to Liyang. If we can't hold Liyang, we'll hold Wuxi. If we can't hold Wuxi, we'll hold Wucheng."

"In short, if anyone tries to persuade me to surrender to Gao Qin, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

His fierce tone immediately intimidated everyone, making them afraid to speak.

At this moment, it was Yuan Xi, who was Yang Xingmin's advisor, who stepped forward, bowed to Yang Xingmin, and said: "General's move may seem like blind loyalty, but it is actually wise."

Before Yang Xingmin could speak, Yuan Xi looked at the crowd and reassured them on Yang Xingmin's behalf:
"If the commander listens to what you say and joins Gao Pian, he will be lowering himself and courting death."

"Don't forget, the world is not just in Jiangnan. Liu Jilong in the north is powerful, and it is said that he has recently mobilized troops in Jiangbei, clearly intending to move south."

"If Liu Jilong marches south and our army surrenders to Gao Pian, Gao Pian will surely send our army west to defend the region, while he will replace our troops with his own to garrison Jiangdong."

"Leaving aside how arduous the westward campaign would be, Gao Pian was defeated by Liu Jilong even when he controlled the Three Rivers region in his early years. Now, he has not yet occupied Jiangnan, so how can he possibly withstand Liu Jilong's military might?"

"In my opinion, it has only been three or four years since Liu Jilong quelled Gao Pian's rebellion. With our army relying on Jiangdong, how can we not hold our ground?"

"If the commander is to surrender, he should surrender to Liu Jilong. Why should he surrender to Gao Qianli, who is destined to lose?"

Yuan Xi calmed everyone down, and they then remembered that there was a behemoth north of the Yangtze River.

As long as he starts dealing with Gao Pian, Jiangdong will definitely be able to hold on. At that time, he can then join Liu Jilong, which will not only help restrain Gao Pian, but also allow him to surrender in a higher position and obtain a higher official rank.

No matter how powerful Gao Pian was, he was only the Prince of Bohai, while Liu Jilong was the Prince of Han, who controlled the court and held the title of Grand Master of the Three Departments.

There is no doubt that joining Liu Jilong would be more profitable than joining Gao Pian.

"Sir, your insight is brilliant!!"

The generals were full of admiration upon hearing this, while Yuan Xi smiled and shook his head: "It's just my humble opinion. But you are all involved, while I am an outsider, so I can see things clearly."

At this point, Yuan Xi turned to Yang Xingmin, who was deep in thought, and bowed to him, saying, "With just our army, it would be difficult to hold out for several years."

"But if we can join forces with Dong Chang and Qian Liu to hold our ground, it will be easy to stop Gao Qianli's army."

Yuan Xi's words reminded Yang Xingmin that although they had cooperated with Dong Chang before, they had not actually contributed anything; their main role was to harass and disrupt the supply lines from the rear.

If the two sides had cooperated sincerely from the beginning, they wouldn't have lost six states in two years.

"it is good!"

Yang Xingmin agreed without hesitation and then personally wrote a letter to be sent to Hangzhou.

While sending the letter, he also led his troops to retreat to Liyang in the north and sent a letter to Li Shenfu, instructing him to retreat to Muzhou if he could not hold out, and then retreat to Jiangdong from Muzhou.

Three days later, Gao Pian led his army to occupy Xuancheng and decided to first attack Shezhou in the south, and then head north to attack Liyang.

Meanwhile, Qian Liu, stationed in Mingzhou (Ningbo), was also facing a coup attempt by his subordinates.

"Qian Poliu, if we do not surrender, we will surely end up as prisoners!"

"Qian Poliu, don't forget that the brothers joined the army for wealth and status, not for any favors!"

"He rebelled against Dong Chang and fled to Gao Pian!"

"That's right..."

Inside the Yuyao County government office in Mingzhou, Qian Liu was surrounded by a cacophony of voices urging him to surrender, constantly tempting him to take action against Dong Chang.

It wasn't that he was reluctant to kill Dong Chang, but he felt that even if he killed Dong Chang and surrendered to Gao Pian, it would be difficult for him to be given an important position.

Moreover, if Gao Pian were to launch a northern expedition after pacifying them, wouldn't that lead to an endless conflict?
As he was thinking this, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, and a colonel rushed into the hall, quieting down the previously noisy environment.

"Commander, this is Commander Dong's military order!"

Qian Liu frowned, wondering what Dong Chang was up to now, but still sent someone forward to deliver the military order to him.

In the military order, Dong Chang stated that he had already formed an alliance with Song Wei and Yang Xingmin through letters. This time was different from the last time, and everyone had to hold their ground. If they really could not hold their ground, they could take a boat north to join Liu Jilong.

“That’s right!” Qian Liu’s eyes lit up. He had only been back in Mingzhou for a few months and knew very little about the news from the Central Plains.

Even so, he knew that Liu Jilong had already unified the north, and that Liu Jilong would certainly not stop there. At that time, Gao Pian would be the first to be targeted.

If they were to voluntarily surrender to Liu Jilong, it would surely lead Liu Jilong to attack Gao Pian ahead of schedule, at which point all the problems would be solved.

"Good good..."

Qian Liu smiled, then took the military order and told everyone about Song Wei and Dong Chang's scheme.

Upon hearing this, the generals stopped clamoring to surrender to Gao Pian and instead turned their attention to Liu Jilong.

A military order thus suppressed the clamor of the many generals in Mingzhou, and the letter between Song Wei and Dong Chang was also sent to Huainan by boat on the Yangtze River.

Li Yangchun dared not delay, and immediately mustered fast horses to send them to Nanyang, along with his memorial.

When Liu Jilong received the fast horse and the memorial, it was already the second day of the sixth lunar month. The autumn harvest in the north was coming to an end, and countless maps and books were sent to Luoyang. After being collected in Luoyang, they were sent south.

The drought in the north continues this year, leaving the Han army short of funds and supplies.

In this situation, the surrender document presented by the relatively prosperous Jiangdong and Liangzhe regions was worth no less than a million shi of grain.

"I have all the advantages of timing, location, and popular support. It seems that even the heavens are urging me to recover Jiangnan as soon as possible."

Inside the Nanyang government office, Liu Jilong put down the surrender documents from Dong Chang and Song Wei, and slowly stood up to look at Zhao Ying and Cao Mao in front of him.

"The imperial edict appoints Wang Jian, the military governor of Qianzhong, as the punitive expeditionary force for Qianzhong, Lingxi, and Annam, and orders him to launch an attack on Qianzhong immediately after the rainy season."

"By imperial decree, Wang Shi, Minister of War and Chancellor, is appointed as the Jiangnan Pacification Commissioner and the Hehuai Army Commissioner, in charge of the troops in Jiangling, Henan, Shannan East, and Huainan, and to immediately dispatch troops to recover the eight prefectures north of the Yangtze River."

"I submit this memorial to Your Majesty, requesting that Your Majesty bestow honors upon Song Wei, the military governor of western Zhejiang; Dong Chang, the military governor of eastern Zhejiang; Yang Xingmin, the military governor of Xuanzhou and Shezhou; Qian Liu, the military governor of Wuzhou and Quzhou; and their generals, in order to reassure the people."

"Yes!" Cao Mao and Zhao Ying bowed in response, then asked, "Your Highness, does the navy need to be mobilized?"

Liu Jilong did not answer immediately, but walked to the sand table in the hall and looked at the 30,000 naval troops he had hidden in Xiazhou.

Seeing this, Cao Mao approached Liu Jilong and bowed, saying, "Song Wei and Dong Chang still have a navy of five thousand men. Although they are no match for Gao Pian's forces, they can still help our troops cross the river from Huainan and occupy Jiangdong, so as to prevent the loss of Jiangdong and the remaining prefectures and counties in Liangzhe."

Cao Mao wanted to expand from three sides, but Liu Jilong continued to look at the sand table, his face calm as if he had nothing to say.

After a moment, he slowly looked at Cao Mao and said, "The naval forces of all the towns... do not move!"

(End of this chapter)