Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 451 Pro

The Tiger Guard Army selects brave and valiant warriors from various military prefectures across the land, while the Righteous Army is selected from various ethnic groups such as the Qiang, Di, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Dingling, and other non-Han peoples.

Just a little bit of news was released, and the entire Guanzhong Plain was in an uproar.

The Hu people's desire for war far surpassed that of the Han people.

According to the Han Dynasty's system, only war could turn their lives around.

Strictly speaking, these ethnic groups under the rule of the Han Dynasty were no longer entirely considered barbarians. Their clothing, customs, names, and languages ​​had been completely Sinicized, and they had long forgotten their own languages.

In particular, the Qiang and Di people, those who can afford it, will support the education of their young members.

The military headquarters was packed with people coming to join the army.

Adhering to the principle of "better to have none than to have bad ones," Liu Daogui had Gao Xun and Liu Huaizhen carefully select volunteers for the Guanzhong Volunteer Army, while Liu Guangzhi, Meng Longfu, Hu Fan, and Wang Yuande were in charge of the Guandong Volunteer Army.

There was plenty of time; there were still more than half a year before the Northern Expedition.

Xiliang and Qiuchi also dispatched 5,000 elite troops to assemble at Puban.

The State of Wei also realized that a decisive battle was imminent, and made all-out preparations for war, conscripting young and strong men from the country and assembling 25 men along the line of Pingcheng, Jinyang, Xiangguo, and Zhongshan.

However, in terms of national strength, the quality of generals and commanders, and the elite of soldiers, the Han Dynasty was far superior to the Wei army.

After the Battle of Fangtou, Wei lost 50-60% of its elite troops, including generals Changsun Fei and Daxi Jin, who were killed in action and have yet to recover.

In the past two years, the Han Dynasty has conquered the Qin and Liang states to the west and destroyed Linyi to the south, replenishing its resources with a large number of cattle, sheep and money, and its national strength has increased rather than decreased.

"There are too many people joining the army, all of them brave warriors from various ethnic groups, which has exceeded the quota for the military officer." Gao Xun has been so busy these days that he has lost more than ten pounds.

Liu Huaizhen also said, "Many tribes serve as soldiers on horseback and civilians on foot. Public opinion has already risen. If they are not chosen, they will surely harbor resentment."

Liu Daogui laughed and said, "So, they're not even willing to be sent to the battlefield?"

"The Hu people have always been fond of killing. The Han Dynasty has a system of military meritocracy, where one can gain wealth and status on horseback, so everyone is eager to be the first to act."

"Since they're so eager, then go all out and recruit them. Take as many as you can. But there's only one condition: they have to provide their own food and weapons. The local militia all bring their own food and weapons to fight, so why should these barbarians be supported by the national treasury?"

Liu Daogui came up with a compromise: as long as it didn't bankrupt the finances, he would accept all comers.

Gao Xun flattered, "Your Majesty is truly brilliant. This strategy not only eliminates those who try to profit from the chaos but also saves on expenses."

"Then it's settled."

When the military order was issued, many people dispersed, but more than 47,000 remained. The largest group consisted of Qiang people, followed by powerful clans from Guanzhong, such as Du, Wei, Xin, Guo, Han, Li, Huangfu, Hu, Jia, Dou, Yin, and Ma.

They had their own warhorses and weapons, and their armored men numbered over nine thousand, including over three thousand four hundred in iron armor and over five thousand eight hundred in leather armor.

The Xue family of Hedong alone dispatched 5,000 soldiers, all of whom were elite infantry and cavalry, and they brought their own provisions.

The powerful clans and gentry who remained in the north were far more enlightened than the noble families and aristocratic clans in Jiangzuo.

A consensus was reached on dealing with the alien races.

This battle can be considered their pledge of loyalty.

Liu Dao established the capital in Chang'an, and those who benefited the most were precisely the people from Chang'an.

However, the Kanto region was not weak at all. The refugee army and the beggar army, which were active in the mountains and marshes, came down from the mountains and joined the local Zhechong Prefecture.

The military leaders of Huai and Si, such as Tan, Xu, Zhuge, Gao, He, and Sun, also recruited local militia and clansmen to join the Northern Expeditionary Army.

The number of volunteers from the six prefectures of Yu, Xu, Yan, Qing, Jing, and Yang reached a staggering 150,000.

If Guanzhong is included, the number of volunteers alone is 210,000. If we include the local militia of each prefecture and the Tiger Guard of Chang'an, the total force is nearly 400,000!

In the past, we always had to fight against overwhelming odds, proceed with extreme caution, and employ all sorts of cunning to achieve victory.

Now it's a fair and square crushing victory.

As various armies arrived at the Yellow River front, before the battle even began, the three commanderies of Bohai, Boling, and Fanyang of Wei defected, driving out the Wei officials within their commanderies and surrendering to the Han Dynasty.

Meng Longfu led his troops into Boling, while Hu Fan entered Bohai.

Tuoba Si personally led 100,000 infantry and cavalry into Zhongshan, thus preventing the situation from deteriorating further.

However, the Han people in the north tried every means to escape south and seek refuge with the Han Dynasty.

The battle hadn't even begun, but the outcome was already decided.

The Ministry of Personnel devised a five-pronged attack strategy. On the western route, Wang Zhen'e led the Qin and Liang armies out of the Helan Mountains, down the Yellow River, and attacked Shuofang, Wuyuan, and Yunzhong.

At Puban, Zhu Lingshi and Zhu Chaoshi sailed up the Fen River and attacked Jinyang. At Luoyang, Wang Zhongde marched out of Henan, attacked Shangdang, and advanced rapidly northward, reaching Pingcheng.

In Yecheng, Mao Dezhu, Shen Tianzi, and Meng Longfu led the Hebei armies northward to hold back Tuoba Si's main force.

On the eastern route, Liu Guangzhi, Hu Fan, Wang Yuande, and Tan Daoji led the armies of Qing, Xu, and Yan provinces in a fierce attack on Jicheng, sweeping through Guangyang, Shanggu, and Yuyang counties. They then joined forces with the central route army in Yecheng to launch a pincer attack from the north and south, and fought a decisive battle at Zhongshan.

This strategy is safe and steady, targeting key towns of Wei. Whether it's Wuyuan and Yunzhong or Jinyang and Shangdang, as long as one of them succeeds, Wei will be either destroyed or crippled.

With both routes successful, Tuoba Si could now flee directly to the northern desert.

"Good." Liu Daogui stamped the strategy with the imperial seal.

The most brilliant aspect of this strategy is that each army fights independently without hindering the others. A setback in one region will not affect other Han armies. It combines overwhelming national strength with the performance of the generals at the front.

In terms of logistics and supplies, Crown Prince Liu Yixing was in charge of the grain supply route along the Qin-Liang Road.

Liu Zhong and Cao Ji transported grain, fodder, and military supplies from Pengcheng northward, stationed them at Fangtou, and then transported them to various armies via the Hebei Canal system.

Both Zhu Lingshi's and Wang Zhongde's routes were supplied by Guangtongcang in Sanmenxia. Liu Daogui specially transferred Liu Huaishen there to coordinate the planning.

The imperial edicts were sent to all the armies like snowflakes.

The canals in Guandong and Guanzhong became busier than ever before, and the atmosphere of a great war permeated the world.

Perhaps intimidated by the military might of the Han Dynasty, the Northern Yan, Goguryeo, and Rouran all sent envoys.

Feng Ba, the wise and prudent ruler of Northern Yan, respectfully submitted a letter of surrender, expressing his willingness to submit to the Han Dynasty.

Goguryeo came to pay tribute and, incidentally, to secretly observe the strength of the Han Dynasty.

The Rouran, however, seemed somewhat confused about the situation. They said they were willing to send 100,000 cavalry to attack Wei from both the north and south, but they wanted to cede the southern and northern parts of Yinshan, including Mobei, Shuofang, Wuyuan, Yunzhong, Dingxiang, and Daijun, to them...

"How about we just give Hebei to you too?" Liu Daogui rolled his eyes.

At their rate, this war will only benefit them.

"The Great Han is a superior nation. The people south of the Gobi Desert and north of the Dai region are all barbarian tribes. My family, Muhanhesheng Gai Khan, is a subject of the Great Han. Of course, if Your Majesty has any objections, we can discuss it further. However, the two prefectures of Yunzhong and Wuyuan must be handed over to our country."

The envoy turned out to be a Han scholar with excellent eloquence, who revealed the Rouran's true intentions.

The most fertile areas south of the Gobi Desert were Yunzhong and Wuyuan, which served as pastures and granaries for the Northern Wei Dynasty.

It was with these two pieces of land that Tuoba Gui gradually grew stronger.

The name Muhanheshenggai Khan means "King of Ten Thousand Victories," which shows the great ambition of this Rouran Khan.

In 402 AD, the first year of the Yuanxing era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Rouran, despite continuous attacks from the Northern Wei, did not decline but instead rose to power under the leadership of Qiudoufa Khan. He first seized the pastures of the Gaoche, established a royal court, and then waged war on all sides, annexing various tribes. His army was strong and powerful, and he dominated the north. His territory extended west to Yanqi, east to Korea, and south to the Gobi Desert, with all the surrounding small states under his control.

The Rouran were once a powerful force in the region. After several years of internal strife, they were reunified by Muhanhe Shenggai Khan and formed an alliance with the Northern Yan through marriage, thus regaining their strength.

However, the Rouran had been living in the northern desert for a long time and were unaware of the changes in the situation in the Central Plains, nor did they know how strong the Han Dynasty was now.

"No need to think about it anymore. Go back and tell your Khan that the lands north and south of Yinshan belong to the Han Dynasty. Tell him not to have any wishful thinking. If he is not convinced, then let him come at us!"

Liu Daogui didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

The Rouran couldn't even defeat the Northern Wei, yet they dared to come to the Han Dynasty and put on airs.

"Does Your Majesty not consider the soldiers of the Han Dynasty? Does not consider the people of the world? Yunzhong and Wuyuan have been nomadic lands since ancient times. The Former Han Dynasty occupied them for only a few decades before handing them over to the Xiongnu." The Rouran envoy was anxious.

Emperor Wu of Han invested heavily in developing these areas, but eventually abandoned them as the Han dynasty declined.

It was used by the Eastern Han Dynasty to settle the Xiongnu.

"Come if you want, and don't say anything more," Liu Daogui waved his hand.

From the very beginning, we didn't place any hope on any allied reinforcements, and the current Han Dynasty doesn't need them either.

If the two counties of Yunzhong and Wuyuan fall into the hands of the Rouran, they will become a great threat.

Muhan Heshenggai had only 100,000 men under his command when he dared to call himself the King of Ten Thousand Victories. Once he grew stronger, he would be a greater threat than the Xianbei.

For the past two or three decades, the Rouran have continued to move south, posing a long-term threat to the borders of the Later Yan and Northern Wei.

In short, if Wei is to be destroyed, then Rouran and Liu Daogui have no intention of letting them go either.

The northern deserts and the Central Plains are natural enemies; peaceful coexistence is impossible unless the Central Plains dynasty completely subdues it...

(End of this chapter)