Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 438 Strange

Even though I've said that, I still have some worries in my heart.

None of these powerful chieftains who rose to prominence in the Northwest were ordinary people.

Wang Zhen'e's troops consisted mainly of infantry and navy. If they encountered a rebellion by the Hu people, they could easily be wiped out.

The troops retreated one after another, with soldiers protecting carts and wagons loaded with women, blankets, tents, gold and silver items, and cattle and sheep following behind, all amidst laughter and chatter.

After getting off the vehicle, these women actually took the initiative to help drive the cattle and sheep and pack the supplies, behaving as docilely as sheep.

These days, Han Chinese still have a sense of ethnic identity, but non-Han people don't care about such things at all.

In addition to the Xianbei people, the Wei state also had a large number of Rouran, Wuhuan, Dingling, and other non-Han peoples. Helian Bobo also had many Xianbei, Qiang, and Han people under his command.

In the northeast, the ruler of the Northern Yan state was surprisingly a Han Chinese. In recent years, he had worked diligently to revitalize the government, clean up official corruption, promote agriculture and sericulture, reduce taxes and corvée labor, establish the Imperial Academy, and attach importance to education. The various ethnic groups lived in harmony, and the state was even more stable than when the Murong clan was in power, with a hint of a revival.

On the grasslands, the rule is that whoever is stronger depends on whom. Slaves and servants don't matter as long as they can survive, and this is especially true for women.

Liu Daogui thought this was a good thing, as the offspring born to the Hu woman would also be of Han blood.

The soldiers were ordered to treat these women well and not to abandon them after starting a relationship. If any of them became pregnant, the government would provide them with compensation according to the standards for ordinary households. If a male child was born, he would be entitled to 20 mu of land and a sheep; if a female child was born, she would be entitled to 15 mu of land and a dog.

With the Tiger Guard's wealth, they could easily support five or six women, let alone one.

With military merit land, monthly allowances, year-end rewards, and battlefield spoils, every household became a small or medium-sized landowner. According to the military merit system, each household could also keep two slave households. They didn't even need to cultivate their own land; they only needed to pay land tax and labor tax. The whole family was exempt from corvée labor, allowing them to focus wholeheartedly on military affairs.

The more children they have, the more good families they will have.

"Report! We've spotted Commander Wang's troops!" The scouts had finally located Wang Zhen'e's forces.

Liu Daogui had only four commanders under his command: Mao Dezhu, Wang Zhen'e, Mao Xiuzhi who guarded Shu, and Zhu Lin, the commander of Yijiang who was in charge of developing the south.

Shen Tianzi was also a governor before, but he was defeated by Helian Bobo and demoted. He has not been reinstated yet.

"Where!"

The scout shouted, "In Longxi, Commander Wang has been lying in wait in the Longshan Mountains for many days, hiding by day and traveling by night. Qifu Chipan saw our army attacking Anding County and deploying troops at Jieting. Commander Wang selected three thousand elite soldiers and appointed his cousin Wang Zhao as the vanguard commander to seize Shanggui!"

Jieting is the gateway to Longxi and a strategic location fought over by military strategists. It is located in the northeast of Longshan and is connected to Anding County. During Zhuge Liang's first Northern Expedition, the situation was very favorable, and all the counties in Longyou surrendered. However, the success was ruined because Ma Su lost Jieting.

Mao Dezhu's attack on Anding County conveniently drew away Qifu Chipan's forces, creating conditions for Wang Zhen'e to seize Shanggui.

"What?" Everyone was surprised. The main target of this military operation was Hu Xia.

All eyes were on the north.

Unexpectedly, Wang Zhen'e acted against common sense, sending troops to Longxi and suddenly launching an attack on Western Qin.

However, to be fair, his move was a stroke of genius. Western Qin, Northern and Southern Liang, and Hu Xia had already formed an alliance. If Longxi was not taken, the flank of Guanzhong would always be under threat.

“Western Qin will surely perish.” Liu Daogui laughed.

Wang Zhen'e captured Shanggui and opened the east gate of Longxi; all that remained was to conquer cities and seize territory.

If they couldn't destroy the Xia, they could destroy the Western Qin. The four commanderies of Longyou were the original territory of the Han people and the ancestral land of the Qiang and Di peoples. They should not have been occupied by the Xianbei people under any circumstances.

No wonder Wang Zhen'e was so confident; he knew all along that he couldn't destroy Hu Xia in this battle, so he set his sights on Western Qin.

No wonder he's Wang Meng's grandson.

However, under the rule of Qifu Chipan, Western Qin was at its zenith, with its territory extending east to Pingxiang and Lueyang, west to Jincheng and Baitu, south to Cengcheng and Chishui, and north to the area north of Dujian Mountain. It had a population of over 700,000, with no fewer than 80,000 infantry and cavalry. Its capital, Fuhan, was situated at the head of the river and was one of the most fortified cities in Longxi.

With over ten thousand troops under his command, it would be extremely difficult for Wang Zhen'e to destroy Western Qin.

Liu Daogui originally intended to order Mao Dezhu, Fu Hongzhi and other troops to support him, and then order Shen Tianzi to lead infantry and cavalry to provide assistance, but when he thought of the fact that Wang Zhen'e did not have a harmonious relationship with them, he gave up the idea.

Wang Zhen'e has not yet sought help from Chang'an, which means that everything is under his control.

In warfare, quality is more important than quantity; a large army often has great power, but also significant internal conflicts.

Shanggui.

After Wang Zhen'e captured the city, Qifu Chipan did not rush to counterattack. Instead, he withdrew his troops to the area around Lueyang, Jixian, and Lucheng, keeping Shanggui in a state of being attacked from three sides.

If Wang Zhen launches a fierce attack on any city, the other two routes will launch a combined attack.

Moreover, the Western Qin army, mainly composed of cavalry, pinned Wang Zhen'e down, rendering him unable to move.

Wang Zhao advised, "Qifu Chipan is a hero of his time. Now that you have captured Shanggui and invaded Longyou, you should rest and recuperate first. When the weather warms up next year and the Chang'an army comes to your aid, you can then drive straight in and destroy Western Qin."

Wang Zhen'e said, "The situation next year will probably be even worse than today. After Western Qin, there are Hu, Xia and Liang. If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. They will definitely lend a hand. It will be even more impossible to destroy Qin next year."

"However, Qifu Chipan is determined to hold his ground, and our army is helpless against him."

In open battle, these 10,000 elite troops from the Western Prefecture, relying on the Wei River and using crossbow carts in a crescent formation, would not be afraid of the Western Qin infantry and cavalry at all.

However, Qifu Chipan remained entrenched in the fortified city, leaving the Western Army helpless.

One or two cities are not difficult to conquer, but there are more than a dozen fortified cities along the way from Shanggui to Fuhan. No matter how elite the Western Army is, it will be exhausted.

Wang Zhen'e said arrogantly, "Who says I am helpless? Everyone in the world thinks I can't destroy Western Qin, but I'll show them! Order Yang Sheng, the ruler of Qiuchi, to leave Wudu County and attack Lucheng!"

"Chou Chi!" Wang Zhao was taken aback at first, then overjoyed.

The state of Qiuchi was located to the southeast of Western Qin. When Zhuge Liang launched his northern expeditions, he attacked Longyou from this area several times.

Now, the Kingdom of Qiuchi has become a surprise force.

Chief Secretary Wang Xiu said, "Will Yang Sheng send troops? If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. If Western Qin is destroyed, Qiuchi will also be difficult to sustain."

Wang Zhen'e said confidently, "If our army had not entered Longyou, Yang Sheng would not have sent troops. Now that the situation is settled, Qiu Chi will definitely send troops, otherwise it will give us an excuse to destroy it."

Taking advantage of the internal strife within the Jin dynasty, Qiu Chi occupied Hanzhong. Later, Liu Daogui issued a military order, and Yang Sheng voluntarily relinquished Hanzhong.

Now that Liu Daogui has moved the capital to Chang'an, the elite troops of the Northern and Western armies have all gathered in Guanzhong, standing proudly above all others. The Hu Xia, Western Qin, and the Two Liang might be able to hold them off this time, but they cannot withstand a second, third, or fourth attack...

The strength of both sides is clear: the Han Kingdom, backed by the Central Plains, is the dominant power.

Qiu Chi Kingdom dared not disobey.

"As long as Yang Sheng holds back one of the troops, I can break free and march into the heart of Longyou. Qifu Chipan will then have no choice but to fight, and if he does, he will surely be captured by me. Destroying Western Qin is only the first step. After that, there are Northern and Southern Liang, Tuyuhun, and the Western Regions. This is an unparalleled achievement, which will bring honor to my wife and children, leave a mark on history, and make my name known for all things. You should all work together with one heart!"

Wang Zhen'e had enormous ambitions and had long since moved beyond the mere Western Qin.

"The Commander-in-Chief is mighty!" All the generals in the hall were filled with patriotic fervor.

Liu Daogui adopted "Han" as the name of his state, and the Western and Northern armies seemed to awaken their bloodline, becoming more martial and valiant than ever before.

(End of this chapter)