Murong Yun was mainly responsible for the defense direction of Dongping Prefecture, which was the former four counties of Han Dynasty.
The Han army there was flying this red black dragon flag.
The Han army in Dongping Prefecture called this the "Huanghan Xuanlong Banner".
"General, these Qingzhou thieves actually came here?"
A Xianbei general said in surprise after hearing Murong Yun's words.
They never expected that in a remote and remote place like Mashijin, where even Xianbei despised poverty, the Qingzhou Han army would come across the sea.
"No, they probably aren't here to plunder."
Murong Yun said with a serious expression.
If the Han army came to plunder Liaodong County, they would definitely go to a wealthy city or around a village.
In that case, it would not only be food and money, but also many men and women.
There are only a few living people in Mashijin, so how could the Han army come here to plunder.
Then there is only one possibility.
"These Qingzhou thieves are here to steal territory!"
Murong Yun almost said these words through gritted teeth.
The Wubao on the opposite hillside is obviously a newly built city. The Qingzhou thieves want to control the surrounding roads.
As long as these forts and walls are built, the area south of Mashijin will no longer be under the control of the Murong family.
At this time, all the Han troops on the opposite side had completed their formation on the hillside.
Murong Yun squinted his eyes and made a quick estimate.
There were about a thousand people, but he didn't see any cavalry, but he knew that the Qingzhou thief Liu Yu had surrendered Kuntou and Suotou Xianbei, and there was no shortage of horses.
"Maybe their cavalry are hiding behind the hillside, waiting for me to attack, and then take advantage of the chaos to sneak up on me!"
Murong Yun immediately thought of the enemy's possible conspiracy.
At this time, the Xianbei cavalry he sent out was about to reach the front of the Han army.
Murong Yun silently thought in his heart that he would just find out the enemy's intention today. As for whether to continue fighting, he would let his brother Murong Gui make the decision.
Under the gaze of hundreds of Xianbei people in the distance, the red black dragon flag fluttering in the wind made a whirring sound.
Gao Yi, who was under the banner, stared blankly at the Xianbei rider running ahead.
At this time, a subordinate next to him asked him.
"Military Commander, a Xianbei is here. Do you want to give him an arrow?"
As he spoke, he shook the bow and arrow in his hand.
Gao Yi rolled his eyes at him and said with some dissatisfaction.
"If someone is flying a plain flag and shoots cold arrows, wouldn't it be too shabby?"
The subordinate had no choice but to put down the bow and arrow in his hand angrily.
At this time, the riders from the Murong tribe holding plain flags had also arrived at the bottom of the hillside.
They started shouting loudly from a distance of about forty or fifty steps.
"I am under the command of General Zhenglu of the Great Jin Dynasty, and there are so many people across from me. Why did you invade my land and kill my soldiers?"
The Murong cavalryman first shouted in Xianbei dialect, and then shouted again in a strange copycat Heluo tone.
"General Zhenglu? Who is he?"
Under the gaze of the Han soldiers on both sides, Gao Yi took a step forward, walked to the front of the formation and shouted loudly.
Upon seeing this, the Murong cavalryman knew that this was the leader of the 'invaders' and shouted loudly at Gao Yi.
"Murong Yun, General of the Great Jin Dynasty!"
After hearing the name, Gao Yi didn't even frown, and suddenly became wary.
"Murong Yun, that is Murong Gui's younger brother."
A guard with short hair on top and braids on the sides said in Gao Yi's ear.
"That's the big boss of Murong's tribe. There might be a large group of enemy troops behind him."
Gao Yi immediately prepared to fight at any time.
"I am Gao Yi, the prefect of Sanshan County of the Han Dynasty. I will go back and tell Murong Yun that from today on, Ma Shijin is the land of the Han Dynasty. Anyone who dares to trespass will be shot to death!"
After Gao Yi said that, he pointed at the heads hanging on the dock not far away and shouted again.
"If you don't listen, this is what will happen!"
Afterwards, the Han troops behind Gao Yi raised their weapons high and mocked the victor.
Murong Xianbei's cavalry did not react at all, but quickly turned their horses' heads and ran back.
"How about it, what is the Qingzhou thief opposite here doing?"
As soon as he saw Murong Yun, the cavalryman who sent the message was questioned.
"Report to the general, the right thieves are Qingzhou, they want to steal the land!"
Immediately, the Xianbei cavalry recounted the brief conversation to Murong Yun.
After listening to it, several Xianbei generals around them all showed doubts.
"Sanshan County, why have you never heard of it?"
"Gao Yi, the governor of Sanshan County? Where did he come from?"
Murong Yun snorted coldly.
"Sanshan County?"
"Hmph, these Qingzhou thieves regard Mashijin as their three counties."
After Murong Yun finished speaking, he pointed to the mountains in the distance to the south.
I saw exactly three of the most conspicuous mountains in the distance, on the land between the seas on both sides.
"These Qingzhou thieves are just looking for death!"
"General, let's go back and mobilize our troops and crush them!"
Several generals yelled viciously.
Murong Yun did not answer immediately, but continued to ask.
"Can you find out how many soldiers and horses the enemy has?"
"The villain doesn't know!"
"Does the thief have cavalry?"
"I don't know either."
After getting two 'I don't know's, Murong Yun lost interest in continuing to ask questions.
The Han army on the opposite side occupies the only main road, and there are obstacles on both sides. If it extends to both sides, there will be rough seas.
"We don't know the enemy's situation, so we can't act rashly. Let's retreat first."
Murong Yun immediately left a dozen cavalrymen to continue monitoring, and then returned with his own guards.
The Xianbei cavalry that came in a mighty force then left in a mighty force, but Gao Yi never relaxed his vigilance in his heart.
"Military leader, the thieves ran away in fear." A general shouted.
"No, they didn't run away. They should have gone back to mobilize more soldiers." The sergeant with short hair said.
"Yu Wenzhong, take a few people with you to drive away the thieves who are following you." Gao Yi said.
The short-haired sergeant named Yu Wenzhong immediately took the order and left.
With the sound of horse hoofbeats, a dozen cavalrymen rushed out from behind the hillside and rushed straight towards the few Murong Xianbei cavalrymen who stayed in place.
Seeing that the enemy came to kill them without saying a word, Murong Xianbei's cavalry did not dare to continue to follow them, and they all ran north in unison.
Looking at Murong Xianbei's cavalry being driven into the distance, Gao Yi felt a little relaxed.
Gao Yi was originally from the east of Qingzhou. Although his uncle was a bandit in Changguang Mountain when he was young, he later defected to Liu Bogen to rebel and was assigned to Liu Yu's command.
Because he was too young at the time, he never received much credit.
It was just that when Liu Yu formed the Young Yulin Soldiers, he was selected because of his suitable age.
Liu Yu wanted to drive a nail in Liaodong County this time and needed a suitable leader, so he happened to choose his old subordinate Gao Yi.
Immediately, Gao Yi led more than a thousand people to Mashijin in the name of the prefect of Sanshan County in Pingzhou of the Han Dynasty and the general against the bandits.
"Military leader, if a thief comes with a large army, what should we do?" asked a general.
A look of disdain immediately appeared on Gao Yi's mature face.
"As long as we follow His Majesty's request and build the forts and city walls and ditches here, it will be difficult for Murong Yun to attack even if he brings in a large army."
"What's more, Ma Shijin, oh no, Sanshan County is far away from Pingzhou City. Even if Murong Xianbei wants to mobilize a large army, it won't take more than a month to come back."
"With a month's time, we will definitely be able to build it."
Gao Yi is very confident about Mashijin to be built.
"What if they come back soon?" the general asked again.
The hundreds of Xianbei cavalry just now were already quite powerful. If they were to attack suddenly, they would be enough to kill more than a thousand Han troops.
"What are you afraid of? As long as you are alert, thieves will not even think of a sneak attack."
After Gao Yi said that, he ignored it.
After the Xianbei cavalry retreated, all the Han soldiers returned to their respective positions and went about their work.
At this time, several men with panicked expressions came out of the Wubao not far away.
As soon as these people saw Gao Yi, they immediately became a little excited.
"General, have all the Xianbei slaves left?"
"Is it really there?"
Looking at these panicked faces, Gao Yi felt a sense of pride in his heart.
He said angrily that the hundreds of Xianbei cavalry just now were so frightened that they fled without fighting after seeing the majesty of the Han army soldiers.
These Han people were immediately moved to tears, holding each other's hands and congratulating each other.
"Great, really great!"
"God, after so many years, I finally no longer worry about being robbed by Xianbei."
These people continued to ask Gao Yi.
"General, will those Xianbei slaves come back in the future?"
Gao Yi nodded firmly.
"Of course, come back. Murong Gui has always regarded Liaodong as his private property. Now that we have seized Ma Shijin, we will definitely send troops to retake it."
When these common people heard this, their faces were full of panic.
"What should we do?"
"What should we do? Of course we do!"
After Gao Yi said that, he pulled out his saber with a cry, and then continued.
"Let's kill some thieves if they come!"
Those Han people all looked embarrassed.
"But we don't have swords and guns. Even if we did, we would definitely not be a match for the Xianbei bandits."
Gao Yi has already been prepared for this.
"Don't worry, the emperor of Han Dynasty has already thought of it."
"We only need to build the forts and high walls here. Then no matter how many Xianbei people come, they will never be able to get past Ma Shijin."
"Okay, okay, let's repair Mashijin Pass immediately!"
"However, your manpower is still too few. I, the general, need more people." Gao Yi said.
"For those who come to build and farm, they will be given one day's rations until the wall is repaired!"
Several people and common people immediately helped and offered suggestions.
"General, if you go further north fifteen miles up the mountain, there is a large city with a population of several thousand people!"
"Then are you willing to lead the way?"
"It's okay to lead the way, but the place should be occupied by the Xianbei people now. Even if they go there, I'm afraid it will be difficult to do anything."
"This is not a problem. As long as we can find enough people, it doesn't matter even if there are a few Xianbei people." Liu Yu was very unhappy that he was not able to calculate Murong Xianbei.
However, the best opportunity had been missed at this time, and there was nothing he could do to blame Wang Daosu again.
"Murong Gui is on guard against this, which means that your situation in Jiangdong may be in danger. Go back early and prepare to come back as soon as possible. Don't delay the matter of becoming the Duke of Boling."
Although Liu Yu was not satisfied with Wang Daosu's ability to do things, as a member of the Wang family in Taiyuan, although Wang Daosu did not hold any big official position in Jiangdong, he had many disciples and former officials around him.
As long as Wang Daosu goes north to the Han Dynasty, he can bring back many scholars and people.
Wang Daosu was originally a little worried because he was afraid that Liu Yu would resent him for not doing enough, but now that he heard that Liu Yu still treated him as before, he was immediately very excited and grateful.
"I am really ashamed of Your Majesty for my poor performance. I will go back and make preparations. I will definitely bring back more people and refugees."
Although Wang Daosu's ability to do things is average, he is still very good at observing words and emotions.
His words immediately hit Liu Yu's expectations.
Liu Yu nodded, encouraged Wang Daosu a few more words, and then let him go down.
"This person is not secretive, so I'm afraid he won't be of much use."
As soon as Wang Daosu left, Gongsun Sheng on the side said with disdain.
He has already seen that this Wang Daosu is smart, but he is not careful in his actions. This kind of "spy" who spends his energy on identifying people is absolutely unacceptable.
Gongsun Sheng was afraid that Liu Yu would have expectations for him. If he was entrusted with important tasks in the future, it would be easy to make mistakes.
That's why he said this.
Liu Yu smiled softly when he heard this.
He naturally understood what Gongsun Sheng meant.
"I heard that this Wang Daosu is quite eloquent. If he can win some people back from Jiangdong, he will be worthy of the title given to him."
As the queen's father, although the dead ghost Wang Jun's life was quite sinful and he was a major contributor to the troubled times in the late Jin Dynasty, this kind of succession to the throne was still unavoidable.
"Now that Murong Gui has deceived us, he must be quite proud of Liaodong. Liaodong is thousands of miles away, and Murong Gui and his son are both talented people. Unlike Liu Cong and his son, who are cunning and cruel, it is better to find a way to deal with them as soon as possible. .”
Gongsun Sheng immediately turned the topic back to the issue of the Murong clan in Liaodong.
Regarding the situation in Liaodong County, Liu Yu and others basically learned about it from the Xianbei people such as Yuwen and Duan Bu.
Liaodong hosted a large number of refugees and was basically self-sufficient in daily necessities. Han's business travelers were increasingly subject to interrogation and surveillance, making it difficult to find out the news.
"Although there is not much real information about the Xianbei people, it is true that Murong Gui and his son are talented."
After Liu Yu eliminated the Huns, he looked at the real potential threat and found that the only real potential threat was Murong Xianbei in Liaodong.
Since the Three Kingdoms, the entire world has entered another cycle of climate cooling.
In this situation, Murong Xianbei, who was both farming and nomadic, had a strong ability to survive.
If left unchecked, it can easily become a serious problem in the future.
"Anyway, many refugees in western Liaoning have rumors that Murong Gui from eastern Liaodong is benevolent and has a reputation for loving the people."
"Now that Murong Gui has received the favor of Jiangdong, I am afraid that the people of Liaodong will be deceived even more."
Gongsun Sheng said slowly.
"I really didn't expect that Sima Rui would be so generous as to grant Murong Gui a Liaodong County Prince. Wang Dun, who holds Sima Rui's life and death, did not receive such treatment, but a Xianbei leader actually took the lead. Liu Yu said mockingly.
The rewards Murong Gui received from Jiangdong this time were very generous. Not only did he receive a large number of regular rewards, but he also received a string of envoys from the Jin Dynasty, Chijie, General Zhengdong, Pingzhou Mu, Commander-in-Chief of Dongyi Military, and Liaodong County Princes. Reward.
The height of his official position can be said to be half that of Wang Dun of Jingzhou.
"You absolutely cannot wait for Murong Gui to take care of Liaodong. Your Majesty needs to make plans in advance."
"Plan, how to plan? There are too many places that need money and food now. The expedition to Liaodong will cost a lot, and it will be difficult to save enough in two or three years." Liu Yu said with some melancholy.
The main theme of the Han Dynasty now is to recuperate and recuperate. Even if it has enough land and lacks enough manpower to cultivate it, it will be difficult to produce sufficient benefits.
What's more, after ten years of war, the north has just stabilized and needs to take the opportunity to reorganize internally.
Compared with this, Liaodong Murong Xianbei also ranked behind.
"Besides, Yuwen and Duan are all useless, and Goguryeo is a barbarian of Yi and Di, so they are useless."
"Do you have any good ideas?"
Liu Yu immediately asked Gongsun Sheng.
"Your Majesty, Murong Gui's purpose in Liaodong is nothing more than to block the people's hearing so that they don't know about the stability of the Central Plains. He may want to spread rumors about the corruption of our dynasty to intimidate the people."
Gongsun Sheng continued.
"Coupled with the encouragement from the Yang family and other scholars, only then can the Han people in Liaodong be used by him."
When Liu Yu heard this, he nodded in agreement.
Although Murong Xianbei had a military advantage in Liaodong, his population was not much larger than the local Han people.
Even the number of Han people in Liaodong is far greater than that of Xianbei people.
However, Murong Gui obtained the support of the Yang family and other powerful Han people through military power, and had a high degree of control over ordinary Han people.
The former Dongyi captain Cui Ao was easily expelled, which is the best example.
"The current Murong Xianbei is not a serious problem after all, and there is no need for us to mobilize troops, at least not when we need to recuperate in the country."
"So, I think I can use my small skills to make a big difference and use my skills to break my face."
"A way to break the surface?" When Liu Yu heard this, he felt that there was something wrong.
"That's right, just use some Arrancar." Gongsun Sheng nodded.
"Why do you want to break the surface?" Liu Yu immediately asked.
"Your Majesty, the Yuwen Department in the northeast of Liaoning is difficult to use, the western part of Liaoning is blocked by large swamps, and the Hunjiangqi District in the east is difficult to travel. However, the coastal area in the south is the most suitable breakthrough point." Gongsun Shengxiao said.
"You mean cannibalizing across the sea?" Liu Yu already understood what Gongsun Sheng meant.
"Yes, that's right. The Mashijin area in the north and south of Liaodong County has had dangerous pass terrain since ancient times. I heard that it is now sparsely populated and has no army to defend it. Your Majesty can send an elite army to cross the sea from the east and seize it. Ma Shijin, build a city here to defend yourself, and then send soldiers north to slowly encroach."
Liu Yu knew the place Gongsun Sheng was talking about better.
According to his description, the route the Han army needed to walk was extremely short.
From Qingzhou Donglai County, take a boat and sail northeast, passing Daxie Island, Guixin Island, Yu Island, and Wuhu Island for three hundred miles, and then cross the Wuhu Sea to the north to Mashijin in Mashi Mountain.
The prototype of this 'Mashijin' is probably a fortress pass built when Gongsun Du separatized Liaodong in the late Han Dynasty. Its only purpose was to defend against enemies coming from the Qingzhou Sea.
Its approximate location is in the Lushunkou area in later generations.
"I have heard of Ma Shijin. It seems to be like the hilt of a knife entering the sea. It is bordered by the sea on both sides, and the shortest part is only a few miles."
As a famous military fortress in later generations, Lushunkou existed as a key point in battles until the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War.
This shows its dangerous geographical location.
"Your Majesty is exactly what you said. The Ma Shijin I mentioned is in this shape. As long as we get this pass and garrison one or two thousand people, we can resist millions of people."
The situation Gongsun Sheng mentioned was not too exaggerated.
For Murong Xianbei of Liaodong, even if they were willing to defend themselves against threats at the seaside, they did not have enough strength.
What's more, if Liu Yu sends troops to raid and capture Ma Shijin, he will soon be able to build a defensive fortress.
At that time, if Murong Gui wanted to attack by force, he would have to pay huge casualties.
What's more, even if they pay casualties, they are not completely sure of defeating Ma Shijin.
"Our army has the convenience of sea supply. Even if Murong Xianbei wants to besiege him, there is no other way except to risk his life." Gongsun Sheng said proudly.
At this time, the ordinary army had no ability to quickly break through the dangerous passes, and had no other choice but to besiege them.
But 'Mashijin' is a fortress that cannot be surrounded, and the vast sea behind it is a continuous supply line.
As long as the two sides of the sea are well defended during the winter freeze period, Murong Xianbei without a navy can only do nothing.
"Haha, okay, this method is really good."
Liu Yu clapped his hands and praised.
According to Gongsun Sheng's method, the Han army only needed a small number of troops to establish a bridgehead at Mashijin in southern Liaoning.
Then based on this unbreakable fortress area, the Han army could continue to erode northward.
More importantly, after the Han army colonized the fortress of "Mashijin", the Han people in Liaodong County will soon know the real situation.
Murong Xianbei, the Yang family and other powerful families would no longer be able to deceive them.
Murong Xianbei's so-called 'benevolent government' meant that taxes were as high as 60% to 70%, or even 80%. Ordinary families had to work hard for a year, but in the end they would just starve to death.
After all, the land in Liaodong was very abundant, and under the protection of Murong Xianbei, no bandits or barbarians dared to rob it.
The surrounding Goguryeo, Fuyu, Haoqian and others, not to mention looting Liaodong, are still worried every day that Murong ghost will rob them.
"Then sir, how many troops and horses do you think is most appropriate to go to Ma Shijin?"
Liu Yu only knew roughly about Ma Shijin's situation and had no specific idea.
If you want to implement it in detail, you should really calculate it carefully. Anyway, it looks like Gongsun Sheng has already made a plan.
"No more than three thousand people, that's fine."
"I heard that there are still some Han and Xianbei people living together in the Mashijin area. They can be used as laborers to build pass fortresses."
In fact, as the southernmost area of Liaodong, Mashijin area
