Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 433 Machine

Soldiers are valuable and quick.

After crossing the Yangtze River, eight thousand elite cavalrymen headed west through Lujiang County, sweeping across the eastern foothills of the Dabie Mountains.

Liu Daogui thought he was fast enough, but Wang Zhen'e was even faster. He sent troops from Jiangxia County, broke through Wusheng Pass, crossed the Dabie Mountains, and was the first to enter Yiyang County.

In the first year of the Huangchu era of Emperor Wen of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period (220 AD), Yiyang Commandery was established by dividing the lands of Runan and Jiangxia Commanderies, with its capital at Yiyang County.

Yiyang County is located in the same geographical area as Jiangxia and Wuchang, and even their dialects are the same.

Wang Zhen'e commanded a large number of former Xifu Army soldiers, so he was quite familiar with the place.

However, his men continued their burning, killing, and looting as always, and they looted even more recklessly whenever they encountered a city that resisted.

Liu Daogui realized that this was his style of leading troops.

After reading the various reports sent back by the governor and his troops, Yin Zhongwen couldn't help but remark: "Wang Zhen'e's use of troops... is against the will of Heaven and damages the reputation of the Great General for benevolence and righteousness."

Liu Daogui glanced at him sideways, "Otherwise, how could he have entered Yiyang County so quickly? The army has only one duty, which is to win, and it is best to win quickly!"

“The General is absolutely right,” Yin Zhongwen said, not daring to argue.

An army with strict discipline is sometimes slow to act and often lacks the desire to fight. The Qin army during the Warring States period was known for its brutality and bloodthirstiness, and was called the army of tigers and wolves, yet it was able to unify the six states.

The Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, and Liu Daogui restored the military merit system of the Qin and Han dynasties, which also restored the wildness and killing nature of the army.

However, in this era, these are not necessarily bad things.

To defeat the northern nomadic tribes, one must be more ferocious and brave than them.

At this point, those who are still willing to follow Sima Guofan are all stubborn and inflexible people.

In fact, it has been proven that Wang Zhen'e's methods were indeed effective.

After killing four thousand prisoners and burning three cities, the rebelling refugee army and the beggar army scattered and fled back into the mountains.

Sima Guofan had only six thousand troops left.

Knowing that they could not hold Yiyang City, they abandoned the city and fled, using the pretext of "supporting the Jin Dynasty" to advance towards the Funiu Mountains in the northwest.

However, the people of Yuzhou were not so easily fooled. They had all migrated from the Huai and Si Rivers and Jingxiang, and did not have a strong sense of identification with the Jin Dynasty. Apart from some uninformed Xiongnu and Dingling bandits, there were basically no people who responded.

"Liu Yiwu, listen to my command! I will give you five thousand elite cavalry to bring back the heads of Sima Guofan and Huan Shisui!" Liu Daogui looked at his eldest son.

"I will kill them all without leaving a single one alive!" These years of military service have made me a qualified soldier.

Liu Daogui rebuked, "In the army, there are no fathers and sons, only superiors and subordinates. Military law is merciless; you should remember that!"

Liu Yiwu was startled. "This subordinate obeys!"

After saying this, he led his cavalry northward.

Liu Daogui stopped his horse and looked north. Everyone has the love of a parent for their child, but Liu Daogui wished even more that his child could spread his wings and fly high.

This trip is bound to be risky. Sima Guofan and Huan Shisui were able to kill Xu Kuizhi, Wang Yunzhi and other generals, so their strength is not weak. But only in this way can we know whether Liu Yiwu can stand alone.

If we can't even deal with them, we'll be even more helpless when facing the even more ferocious and cunning barbarians.

After watering their horses by the Huai River, Liu Daogui led the remaining three thousand cavalry to follow behind and cover the retreat.

Sima Guofan and Huan Shisui in the north were exceptionally cunning. They moved from east to west, managing to bypass Wang Zhongde's encirclement of 6,000 infantry and cavalry. They entered Runan County from Xincai County and then turned from Langshan into Tongbai Mountain.

The Central Plains are a vast and resource-rich land, making it difficult for Wang Zhongde's six thousand elite troops to attend to everything.

Sima Guofan and Huan Shisui had been lying low in this area for six or seven years, and had long since become intimately familiar with the surrounding terrain.

“By hiding here and there, we can’t completely wipe them out.” Liu Daogui spread out a map. The terrain around the Dabie Mountains is complex. Sima Guofan is wandering around and has become a nomadic bandit.

"The rebels number over six thousand; where did they get their provisions?" Yin Zhongwen, quick-witted as ever, soon noticed something unusual.

Even bandits are human beings; they need to eat and drink.

It is not easy to support six thousand men.

It wasn't just provisions, but also armor, weapons, and supplies. The rebel army was able to defeat Xu Kui's Northern Army, so their equipment must have been quite good.

Wang Yunzhi and Shen Yuanzi were both killed by crossbow bolts. Being able to equip themselves with powerful crossbows and armor was something that ordinary bandit troops could not do.

Meng Gan said: "Sima Guofan, in the name of the Jin royal family, secretly colluded with powerful local clans."

Liu Daogui sneered, "So that's how it is. It seems that someone is unwilling to move to Guanzhong and is using Sima Guofan and Huan Shisui to fight against me!"

It would be unreasonable for the rebels to cause so much trouble without anyone supporting them.

Sima Guofan was a member of the imperial clan, and Huan Shisui was also a once top-tier noble family. The two provinces of Yu and Jing were the foundation of the Huan family back then, and they had intricate connections with powerful clans and gentry in various places.

Nothing in this world is isolated; everything is interconnected and intertwined.

In the fifteenth year of Jianwu (39 AD), Emperor Guangwu of Han implemented the "Land Survey Order," ordering all prefectures and counties to investigate the amount of land, population, and age of powerful families who owned land, in order to limit the land annexation and enslavement of people by powerful families, and to facilitate the collection of taxes and corvée labor by the state.

The "powerful clans, military commanders, and bandits" rose up in rebellion, openly attacking government offices and massacring officials sent by the imperial court.

When Liu Daogui moved the capital to Chang'an, he wiped out all the powerful and influential families.

However, the local powerful clans were not purged and dared not openly confront Liu Daogui. Instead, they secretly supported the rebels, delayed the relocation of the capital, and ultimately achieved their goal of disrupting the relocation process.

It's not hard to imagine that if Liu Daogui hadn't acted swiftly and decisively, first dealing with these powerful and influential families, the scale of the rebellion would have been much larger, affecting even more prefectures and counties.

Since the establishment of the prefecture-county system in the Qin Dynasty, the struggle against local powerful clans has never ceased.

The Han Dynasty implemented the system of imperial mausoleum settlements, relocating powerful clans and gentry to Guanzhong. The Cao Wei and Western Jin dynasties did not have this system; instead, they compromised with powerful clans and gentry in exchange for imperial power. One dynasty lasted for forty-six years, and the other for fifty-one years.

"Report the list of powerful figures who are secretly colluding with the rebels to Wang Zhen'e." Liu Daogui's face was full of murderous intent. "This..." Yin Zhongwen, of course, knew the consequences of doing so.

Liu Daogui was determined: "Cut the weeds out completely, leave no future trouble!"

The name Wang Zhen'e was truly fitting; the Western Army under his command became the most suitable candidates for doing the dirty work.

In troubled times, important codes should be used.

Without swift and decisive action, the number of forces involved will only increase.

In the eyes of these powerful clans and gentry, Guanzhong was now no different from a barbaric and foreign land, full of Hu people. Forcing them to migrate north was more painful than killing them.

Once a powerful family leaves their homeland, they cease to be powerful.

Liu Daogui intended to take this opportunity to purge the surrounding powerful clans...

On Mount Tongbai.

The rebels actually numbered more than six thousand; many more were hidden in the mountains and rivers, making it difficult for the Tiger Guard scouts to locate them.

Sima Guofan's forces included not only remnants of Huan Chu, but also beggars and refugees from all over the Central Plains, and even some remnants of Zhai Wei and Later Yan.

As the various ethnic groups in the north rose and fell in turn, the defeated groups did not completely disappear; they all concentrated along the banks of the Yellow River.

Yuzhou, with its fertile land, numerous mountains and rivers, and sparse population, attracted a large number of Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Dingling people.

These tribes are willing to risk their lives for whoever offers the greatest benefits.

"Gentlemen, there is no need to worry. Although Liu Daogui has gained great fame over the years, he is already outwardly strong but inwardly weak. Moving the capital to Chang'an is a move that cuts off his own foundation. Now is the time when he is at his weakest. I have already sent someone to the Wei Kingdom. If the matter succeeds, we can rely on the powerful Wei Kingdom to dominate the Central Plains and look south towards the Jianghuai region. If the matter fails, you can all go to the Funiu Mountains and flee to the Northern Wei Kingdom. You will still be able to get a title of nobility!"

Sima Guofan was young but had remarkable eloquence. He was handsome and charming, and every word and action of his was like a gentle breeze.

Originally, he went to Hutao Mountain with Huan Shisui as his master, but because of his status as a member of the imperial clan and his talent, Huan Shisui willingly served him as his master.

Along the way, Sima Guofan lived up to expectations, winning over more and more people.

They also inflicted a major defeat on the Northern Army, killing generals such as Xu Kui, Wang Yun, and Shen Yuanzi, which greatly boosted the morale of the righteous army.

More and more people came to seek refuge with him.

A burly leader of the refugees, with a full beard, laughed loudly: "Hahaha, what the King of Hejian said is true. But after the deed is done, how will you reward us?"

This person has deep-set eyes and a high nose, clearly indicating that he has non-Han ancestry.

Not all the refugee armies and beggar armies were from Jin.

"After this is accomplished, you will all be meritorious officials who have helped restore the Jin Dynasty. In the Central Plains, you will either become prefects or governors. I will never go back on my word!" Sima Guofan made a grand promise.

"I want Yingchuan!"

"I want Yanzhou!"

"Pengcheng is mine..."

The crowd immediately began to scramble for it, as if whoever shouted it out first would truly own these prosperous lands.

However, such a thing did happen once eighty years ago. During the Yongjia Rebellion, the court collapsed, and the powerful clans supported Sima Rui, the Prince of Langya, to flee south and resume the Jin dynasty. These powerful clans all gained huge benefits.

Liu Daogui's forced relocation of the capital to Chang'an was seen by them as being similar to the Yongjia Rebellion.

"As long as you help me defeat the Northern Army, I am willing to share the land with you!" Sima Guofan said with conviction, and with his pleasing face, these people had no choice but to believe him.

Just as the atmosphere was getting lively, a group of scouts came running down the mountain, shouting, "Report!"

The crowd quieted down, and all eyes fell on the scout.

"Liu Daogui's son, Liu Yiwu, led five thousand cavalry straight towards Tongbai Mountain!"

"Are there any other reinforcements?" Huan Shisui's eyes flashed.

Killing Xu Kuizhi, Wang Yunzhi, Shen Yuanzi and others will not shake Liu Daogui's foundation, but capturing and killing Liu Yiwu will severely damage the Northern Army.

"Only five thousand cavalry! Tan Pingzhi's troops are in Yiyang, and Wang Zhongde's troops are still in Runan!"

"It's truly a stroke of luck! Liu Daogui has actually appointed a mere child to lead the army. His talent is far inferior to Liu Yu's, and he will surely repeat the mistakes of Murong Chui!" Huan Shisui was overjoyed.

Murong Chui had dominated the world for decades without ever suffering a defeat, but he was forced to lead a large army to attack Tuoba Gui, resulting in a crushing defeat at Canhebei. The fate of the Later Yan dynasty was sealed, and even Murong Chui died of anger.

"This battle will surely reverse the course of the world and severely damage Liu Daogui's reputation, which has lasted for more than a decade!"

Huan Shisui has survived for so many years since the fall of Huan Chu, and he still has so many loyal followers around him. He can be considered a hero of his time.

He was the one who led the charge and fought ahead when he killed Xu Kui and Wang Yun.

Since they were able to defeat Xu Kui's Northern Army, defeating Liu Yiwu's five thousand elite cavalry would not be difficult.

However, Sima Guofan frowned. "Could it be a trap? Liu Daogui is even more cunning than Liu Yu. How could he reveal such a big flaw?"

Huan Shisui was full of confidence: "Everything has a beginning, but few things have an end. Fu Jian and Murong Chui were both brilliant for a time, but they both suffered a crushing defeat. No one is a saint, who can be brilliant for a lifetime? After capturing and killing Liu Yiwu, heroes from all over the world will surely rise up to attack him and resist tyranny. The King of Hejian can wait and see!"

Sima Guofan nodded, "Military matters are entirely at your disposal, Brother Huan."

The price of this bait is too high; even knowing it's a trap, they have no choice but to take the bait.

In a way, this was their last chance.

Don't miss out!

(End of this chapter)