Hengdao Sixteen Kingdoms

Chapter 497
Affected by the defeat in Hefei, people from the north of the Yangtze River moved southward one after another, hoping to cross the Yangtze River, and crowded at the mouth of the river.

However, the Jin army in the south of the Yangtze River seemed to be facing a formidable enemy. The navy floated on the river, but did not come to help the people cross the river.

Li Yue didn't have time to take care of them, he had his own infantry at the rear to handle them.

As Bingfeng pointed out, both Juchao and Hengjiang collapsed in the face of the wind, but the granaries in the city had long been burned to ashes.

After a short pause, the army headed straight for Liyang.

Opposite Liyang is Jiankang. The importance of this place can be imagined.

The city was already facing a formidable enemy. Countless people crowded at the city gate, but the gate was tightly closed.

More than [-] Heiyunxiao rode in a line in the northeast, giving this important town a huge sense of oppression.

Some frightened people jumped directly into the Li River in the south, trampling on each other and crying.

The defenders on the city also looked desperate.

Li Yue looked at the banner with the word "Xie" floating at the top of the city, and instantly guessed that the city's defender would be Xie Shang, who successively served as General Jianwu, Grand Administrator of Liyang, General Anxi, and Governor of Yuyang and other prefectures.

Yin Hao's Northern Expedition was full of chicken feathers, and he deserves three-thirds of the credit.

But despite his repeated defeats, his official position has been rising all the way. He was recently promoted to General Zhenxi, Shangshu Pushe, Commander-in-Chief of all military affairs in Jiangxi and Huainan, and Governor of Yuzhou...

Even Yin Hao, who was defeated, was only demoted to a commoner.

A few years ago, when he was struggling to survive on the Black Cloud Mountain, Li Yue had met Xie Shang several times through Zhang Yu and knew some details.

"This city can be broken! Set up camp first and rescue the people." Li Yue said to the left and right.

The soldiers were all inspired.

Two light cavalry flew out, like two arms, one from north to south and one from south to north, embracing the people under the city.

The people were crying and being driven away from the battlefield by the cavalry.

The city did not take the opportunity to fire arrows, and just sat back and watched the black cloud cavalry drive all the people away from the battlefield. This made Li Yue have a good impression of Xie Shang. Although this man was incompetent, he was not cruel. It would be great to go home and talk about mysteries and indulge in the mountains and rivers. ?It happens to be in such an important position.

There was no fighting on the first day, and the whole army rested and waited for food and fodder in the rear.

They have been advancing rapidly in the past few days and killed many war horses to satisfy their hunger.

Now that there are so many people being accommodated, it will be a catastrophe if there is no food and grass to support them.

Fortunately, in the evening of the same day, Liang Xiao's grain was shipped from Hefei. The grain and grass seized on the battlefield were counted, and there were 13 shi, enough to last for a month.

Li Yue immediately ordered porridge to be cooked and distributed to the hungry people.

After eating the hot porridge, the crying and howling in the camp suddenly subsided, and no one resisted.

The next day, the infantry drove the people one after another. There was a sea of ​​people outside Liyang City, no less than 20 people.

With more people and greater strength, Li Yue ordered to select the young and strong, and built two large earthen hills in the north of Liyang City. The soldiers stood on them and could directly shoot the defenders on the city wall.

Then deep ditches and high fortresses were built to build camps.

"Liyang is already an isolated city and can be conquered in a few days. Why bother with so much effort? The general is willing to lead an army to attack the city!" Zhang Hao was eager to fight.

Li Yue smiled and said: "General Zhang's appetite is too small. Is one Xie Shang satisfied? I am waiting for Huan Wen and Jiankang to come to the rescue!"

Opposite Liyang is Jiankang. The Jiangdong nobles cannot see everything happening in Hefei, but they can clearly see everything happening here.

Li Yue wanted to use this battle to cast a psychological shadow on Jiang Dong forever, and he would never dare to mention the Northern Expedition again!

"Oh? I understand, general!" Zhang Hao touched the back of his head.

Everyone smiled, Zhang Haosheng was vicious and rude, but extremely loyal and very popular in the army.But what makes Li Yue depressed is that after waiting for a few days, Jiangdong did not send reinforcements, nor did Ruxu, as if they had given up on Liyang...

There are more and more navy warships on the Yangtze River, but no one dares to cross the river.

In the Battle of Hefei, Huan Wen's [-]-strong army was wiped out, and less than [-] troops fled back. Jiangdong was already desperate.

There are hundreds of thousands of people outside the city, and even eating porridge every day is an astronomical figure.

Since no reinforcements came, Li Yue ordered an attack on the city.

Xie Shang had been running Liyang for more than ten years and had some foundations, but he was surrounded by enemies on all sides and had no reinforcements from outside. After resisting for four days, Zhang Hao took the lead in breaking through the city. Xie Shang faced Jianye and committed suicide at the top of the city.

Li Yue looked at Xie Shang's corpse carried by the soldiers, sighed, and thought it was a dignified death, so he was restrained and returned to Jiangdong.

The defenders in the city had long lost their fighting spirit and all surrendered.

Lu Guang led the army straight to the treasury. This time, no food was burned. Xie Shang sealed the treasury completely. There was a lot of food in it, enough for the Heiyun army and the people to eat for two months.

Immediately, Li Yue sent troops to attack various cities in the north of the Yangtze River, relocated the people and brought back food.

However, when they marched into Guangling County, they encountered stubborn resistance from the Jin navy in Chushui River and returned without success.

After resting for a day, Gao Yun came to advise and said: "This battle has been completely won. It is difficult to transport food and grass from the rear. There are naval forces in the east of the Yangtze River. It is difficult for our army to cross the river to destroy the Jin Dynasty. It is useless to stay longer. Why doesn't your Majesty withdraw the army?" ?”

Jiangbei has taken everything that should be taken, and what is left is hardcore. Ruxu, Guangling, etc. are heavily defended and will be difficult to capture in the short term.

"Who says it's useless? It's a good time to cross the river if you dare to cross the river!" Li Yue said with a strange smile on his face, "Send an order to build ships for crossing the river, put more flags in the north of the river, beat drums and shout every day, Build momentum!"

With both sides fighting like this, the nobles in Jiankang City should also show some courtesy.

War is a continuation of politics, and the best interests have not yet been achieved. How can Li Yue retreat easily?
And sometimes, political interests far outweigh battlefield interests.

Li Yue does not lack land, population, or martial arts, but he only lacks orthodoxy.

Gao Yun thought for a moment and understood instantly, "The last general will take the order!"

Soon, the drum horns in the north of the Yangtze River shook the sky, and from Hengjiang to Guabu Mountain, the flags were waving. Tens of thousands of young people were shouting and shouting on the river bank every day, and the sound shook the south bank of the river.

Heiyun Xiaoqi patrolled along the river, raising huge clouds of smoke and dust.

It seemed that he was about to cross the river and attack Jiankang at any moment.

After a few days, a secret report came back from Xizuo. People in Jiangdong were panicked. People moved their families southward, and all the officials and soldiers in the cities and towns along the river fled.

Even the city of Jiankang was in panic all day long, and successively issued edicts to Huan Wen, the king of Jian Kang Qin, who came upstream. However, Huan Wen only sent his navy to patrol the Yangtze River and stayed motionless in Ruxu City.

Seeing that the fire was almost over, Li Yue led [-] cavalry and [-] infantry down the river, while Chen Binggua walked down the mountain and looked at the looming Jiankang City in the south.

It is said that Jinling has a royal aura, but Li Yue didn't see any of it, only a decadent aura.

The army stood darkly at the foot of the mountain, and the soldiers drove their horses to the river to drink water.

The navy of the Jin army was densely arrayed south of the Yangtze River as if facing a formidable enemy.

Li Yue asked people to raise a large banner with the character "Liang" and look down at Jiankang City on the south bank.

The black cloud soldiers standing under the banner all had extremely solemn expressions.

"Why are Jin people so rude? Your Majesty is here in person, but you don't come to see him!" Zhang Hao was furious.

"Don't be impatient, someone will come." Li Yue said confidently while riding on his horse.

After waiting for an hour, a small boat swayed in the river and came towards the north bank...

(End of this chapter)